Parliament adopted a divisive pension bill Monday raising the retirement age in France from 62 to 64, after lawmakers in the lower chamber rejected two no-confidence votes against the government.
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The French government has survived two no-confidence votes over its controversial pension reform plans. The government’s proposal would replace the country’s current 42 separate pension schemes with a universal system that would factor in every citizen’s entire working life, thereby doing away with the current system’s many exemptions and privileges. The reform has been met with protests led by unions across France, with strikes in transportation and other vital sectors causing heavy disruption to the country’s economy.

Despite the opposition, President Emmanuel Macron’s government has remained determined to see the reform through. The first vote of no confidence was tabled by lawmakers from the left-wing La France Insoumise party after the government used a special decree to force the reform through the National Assembly. The second vote was tabled by the conservative Les Républicains party, which argued that the government’s handling of the reform was “incompetent.”

Both votes failed to carry the necessary majority, with 70 votes in favor and 348 against for the no-confidence motion from La France Insoumise and 146 in favor and 295 against for the motion from Les Républicains. The survival of the government is a significant victory for Macron, whose approval ratings have taken a hit over the past year due to various crises, including the ongoing Yellow Vest movement and protests linked to the pension reform.

The French government is now set to continue negotiations and discussions with the unions and other stakeholders in the coming weeks. Many French workers fear that the proposed changes to the pension system would see them having to work longer, with less money in retirement. However, the government argues that the reform is necessary to make the system financially sustainable and fairer for all. The current pension system is estimated to have a deficit of around €12 billion ($13.4 billion) per year.

The aftermath of the no-confidence votes has seen some opposition figures question the effectiveness of the measures taken by their parties, while others have called for increased cooperation and unity in taking on the government. The next steps in the pension reform process remain unclear, but one thing is clear: the French government is determined to push through with these changes, despite significant opposition from various sectors of society.