French constitutional body rules on pension referendum call

PARIS –

France’s high constitutional physique is to rule Wednesday on a last-ditch effort by opposition lawmakers to thwart President Emmanuel Macron’s transfer to lift the retirement age to 64, by way of a potential referendum or new invoice restoring the age to 62.

The transfer has been prompted by opposition legislators who’re searching for to launch a fancy, prolonged course of in hopes of rejecting Macron’s unpopular pension regulation that was enacted final month.

The Constitutional Council’s position is to evaluate whether or not the opposition’s request meets the authorized circumstances for a possible referendum. If so, supporters would have 9 months to gather signatures from no less than 4.8 million, or 10%, of French voters.

Macron’s authorities would then have the ability to select between sending the opposition’s textual content to parliament for debate and ultimately a vote, or ready for six months to place the measure earlier than voters in a referendum. The proposal would solely go to a nationwide referendum if it weren’t debated by lawmakers.

However, the Constitutional Council rejected an identical proposal in April. The authors have revised the measure so as to add language stating {that a} change within the financing of France’s pension system is required.

The course of, established in 2015, has by no means but led to a referendum.

Regardless of what the council decides, its ruling wouldn’t droop the regulation that Macron’s authorities pushed by way of through the use of a particular constitutional energy to lift the retirement age with out a last parliamentary vote.

Macron has defended the reform, saying it’s wanted to maintain the pension system afloat because the inhabitants ages.

The measure has prompted months of road protests from opponents who argue there are different methods to finance the pension system, together with by way of a tax on the rich or employers as an alternative.

The nation’s fundamental labour unions on Tuesday referred to as for an additional spherical of nationwide demonstrations and strikes on June 6.