Macron’s pension reform and the failings of French republicanism
By: M. Sharifi
In spite of extensive public outcry and by circumventing the legislative process, Macron's administration adopted a controversial plan to increase the retirement age.on March 16, 2023, the Senate passed a bill that would increase the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 years old. The measure received 193 votes in favour and 114 negative votes. Subsequently, it was established that the National Assembly would not be asked to vote on the bill, and instead, the government would exercise the provision of Article 49.3 of the French Constitution of 1958. The bill was signed into law by the French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, without any parliamentary deliberation. On the eve of a historic parliamentary decision, a joint committee comprising the Senate and the National Assembly reached a compromise about the pension reforms.
However, Macron threatened to dissolve the National Assembly after this last effort failed to bear fruit.As per Article 12, the French President is empowered to dissolve the National Assembly following consultation with the Prime Minister and the Speakers of both Houses. After that, new polls will be held in a span of 20–40 days.The threat in question was perceived by many politicians as an attempt to coerce members of the National Assembly into endorsing the much-despised reforms. On the other hand, advocates such as Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice and a staunch member of Macron's party, Renaissance, argue that the National Assembly should have backed the plan because of the benefits it would have brought to the French retirement system.
The implementation of the pension reform legislation may face insurmountable obstacles, including the potential risk of heightened protests that may lead to the postponement of the law. In the event of the failure of Macron's pension reforms, there exists the possibility of the dissolution of the National Assembly and the subsequent holding of fresh elections, the outcomes of which remain unpredictable. Since the beginning of pension reforms at the end of January, France has witnessed multiple nationwide protests.t
he French Ministry of the Interior estimated that 1,300,000 individuals participated in the March 7 protests, while the CGT Union put the number at 3,500,000.Should the Macron administration fail to implement this law, it is likely that protests will become increasingly challenging. Following the invocation of Article 49.3 by Macron, several spontaneous protests have been reported. According to surveys, a significant majority of approximately 75% of French people express opposition to the prospect of increasing the retirement age. The implementation of Article 49.3 may serve to intensify this opposition, as younger citizens tend to demonstrate greater concern for democratic principles than for retirement-related subjects. In the event that the bill in question fails to pass, Emmanuel Macron will be faced with the decision of either designating a new prime minister or continuing with Borne.
The aforementioned resolution would likely lead to the dissolution of the legislature, irrespective of the absence of a legal obligation to do so. Also, there is no statutory obligation for the president to provide a response within a designated period of time.Hence, prior to transitioning to next administration, it may be prudent for Macron to give himself time to assess the unfolding developments.
