French President Emmanuel Macron’s government barely pushed past a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, meaning that his pension reform plan will see the light of day. However, it has at a cost, with violent protesters taking to the streets and unions stepping up strikes.
Reuters reported that the violent protesters have gone back and forth with the police for five straight nights, leaving Macron to face down the most dangerous situation in his country since the “Yellow Vest” revolt that took place four years ago.
The no-confidence vote ultimately failed by just nine votes, meaning that Macron is now able to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. This issue has been a key element of Macron’s second mandate, according to the report.
However, the results have lawmakers worried, claiming that the crisis is not yet over.
Gilles Le Gendre, a senior MP within Macron’s camp, said: “We are all weakened. It’s not because the law was adopted that we can do business as usual.”
The report noted that Macron will apparently speak up about the issue on Wednesday during a TV interview, which is meant to “outline what happens now,” according to spokesman Olivier Veran.
Eurointelligence analysts suggested that Macron essentially has two options: he can either pretend “that nothing major happened” and allow the crisis to fizzle, or he can pursue “co-habitation with the willing in the assembly.”
The analysts added: “Given Macron’s nature, we see him being more attracted to the first option. A risky bet.”
The next objective for Macron is to try to resolve the unrest that has ravaged Paris for the past five days. He is reportedly set to hold talks on Tuesday with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, leaders of the houses of parliament, and lawmakers within his ranks.
There has been substantial push-and-pull within Macron’s camp.
Sacha Houlie, an MP in Macron’s camp, seemed to dispel the possibility of a change in prime minister, saying: “What we expect from the President of the Republic is that he draws up an outlook … a three-, six-month calendar (of reforms),” according to Reuters, adding that he hoped that the government could help find a way for businesses to share more of their profits with workers.
However, Patrick Vignal, another MP in Macron’s camp, has suggested that the president should suspend the pension bill amid the civil unrest, noting the bill’s immense unpopularity.
There were reportedly more than 200 people arrested Monday evening, just hours after news of the failure of the no-confidence vote.
