The French Senate approved the entire package of pension reforms of the government of President Emmanuel Macron late on Saturday evening. On Wednesday night, the Senate already approved the most important measure in the package, the increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
The retirement plan received the support of 195 senators; 112 voted against. With the approval of the full package of measures, a first important hurdle has been taken for the government. A joint committee of the Senate and the House of Commons, the Assemblée Nationale, must now adopt the final text. It must then be put to the vote again in both houses. That will probably happen on Thursday.
The outcome of that final vote is by no means certain, because the government does not have a majority in the Assembly. If the government is not sure of sufficient support, it may decide to push through the pension reform without putting it to a vote. The French constitution allows for this, but the so-called Article 49/3 procedure is controversial and rarely used.
Riots in Paris
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of French people again protested against the increase in the retirement age. Riots broke out in Paris in the evening. Garbage cans were set on fire and shop windows smashed. The police made 32 arrests. New demonstrations and strikes have been announced for Wednesday, the day when the joint committee of the House of Commons and the House of Lords is expected to meet.
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