France to raise retirement age without vote via special provision
Misty Severi
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The French government used a special provision in its constitution Thursday to bypass the country’s legislature and make changes to the country’s pension program, including raising the age of retirement.
Article 49, Paragraph 3 of the French Constitution was invoked as the government raised the age of retirement from 62 to 64 without a vote. French President Emmanuel Macron had campaigned on raising the age of retirement, claiming it was the only way to stop the country from going into a deficit.
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“Today, uncertainty looms, ” French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said, according to the Associated Press. “[But] we cannot gamble on the future of our pensions. That reform is necessary.”
The move was met with outrage by protesters who have been calling for an end to the legislation since January. It was also strongly rejected by other members of Parliament, who announced they plan to call for a vote of “no confidence” against Macron, which would force him to resign.
The vote is expected to be called by Macron’s reelection challenger Marine Le Pen and her far-right party. A tentative outline for the vote has it set for as early as next week, and it will need approval by more than half of the National Assembly. If the no-confidence vote does pass, it would be the first time the French government has removed a sitting president since 1962. If it fails, the pension change will be adopted.
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Macron’s risk comes as the United States considers its own future of social security and retirement payments. A similar move was introduced in the U.S. Senate by bipartisan senators earlier this year. They recommended raising the age of retirement to 70 from 67.
If Congress does not make a change to Social Security, the current trust will be exhausted by 2037, according to the Social Security Administration.