The Constitutional Council cancels the attempt to referendum on pensions – DW – 04/05/2023

France’s highest constitutional body rejected a second attempt at overthrow Reforming President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial retirement system – Rejecting an attempt to hold a referendum on setting the retirement age at 62 years.

In a statement, on Wednesday, the Constitutional Council said that the proposed referendum failed to meet legal standards, according to the constitution.

in Another provision in controversial legislation Last month, the council found that the government’s raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64 was consistent with the constitution.

What did the board say?

On Wednesday, the council ruled that the attempt had failed to address needed reform in terms of social policy. It therefore decided that he “does not meet the conditions” set out in the French constitution.

Opposition lawmakers are seeking to get the parliament to approve a referendum on the retirement age.

Had it been approved, the opposition would have had to collect at least 4.8 million signatures, representing 10% of the electorate, within nine months. After that, the government will have to send the text to parliament for a vote or put the measure to a referendum after another six months.

However, the process would have been too slow for the date the new pension reforms took place, Signed into law by Macron Last month, it will go into effect, which is September.

How did the opposition respond?

Opposition lawmakers and unions who staunchly oppose reform are now mobilizing for a day of nationwide protests scheduled for June 6. The protests will come just two days before an opposition proposal to overturn the reform is debated in parliament.

Macron government Push reforms without a vote in the House of Representatives, which led to months of strikes and major protests.

Macron pledged to undertake similar reform in his first term, but he delayed reform for years amid resistance and eventually scrapped the plan when the COVID pandemic hit.

Even after the increase from 62 to 64, France’s retirement age will be among the lowest in the developed world. Most Western Europeans are either 65 or higherMany countries, such as Germany, plan to increase this percentage further in the coming years.

rmt/rc (AP, Reuters)