Download
France court rules out second request to hold pension referendum
Ross Cullen in Paris

Translating...

Content is automatically generated by Microsoft Azure Translator Text API. CGTN is not responsible for any of the translations.

French Gendarmes guard the Constitutional Council shortly before it announced its decision. /Christian Hartmann/Reuters
French Gendarmes guard the Constitutional Council shortly before it announced its decision. /Christian Hartmann/Reuters

French Gendarmes guard the Constitutional Council shortly before it announced its decision. /Christian Hartmann/Reuters

The top court in France has ruled out a referendum on President Emmanuel Macron's contentious pensions legislation for the second time.

The Constitutional Council said that the application for a referendum did not satisfy all the constitutional requirements needed for a plebiscite to be held.

The court's role was to assess whether the opposition parties' request met the legal conditions for a potential referendum.

If so, supporters would have had nine months to collect signatures from at least 4.8 million, or 10 percent, of French voters to force a public vote.

Macron is insistent that there is no alternative to his pension reform. /Thibaud Moritz/Pool
Macron is insistent that there is no alternative to his pension reform. /Thibaud Moritz/Pool

Macron is insistent that there is no alternative to his pension reform. /Thibaud Moritz/Pool

The referendum tool was introduced as part of the country's constitutional reform of 2008 and is a device which provides for the possibility of organizing a popular consultation on a bill.

The Council also decided to disregard a call by opposition MPs for a new debate on reversing the legislation and restoring the retirement age back to 62.

READ MORE

President Xi talks to Ukraine's Zelenskyy

Butt out: Cigarette pollution in Lisbon

EU living in 'fragile financial world'

Opponents of Macron's legislation, who have been holding mass street protests on a regular basis since mid-January, have not lost hope of eventually in forcing the government to scrap the legislation.

The next day of mass social action across France is due to take place on June 6, with hundreds of thousands of people likely to join demonstrations and marches nationwide.

After that, on June 8, French MPs will debate an opposition bill to repeal the pension legislation.

However, even if that passes the lower house, it seems unlikely that French senators would agree to the proposal to annul the legislation that was only signed into law last month.

The unions want ministers to drop what they describe as "unjust" legislation, which they argue unfairly impacts women and lower-paid workers.

On May 3, the French finance minister once again defended the changes, saying that "there is no credible alternative to the reforms that we have proposed."

The government argues that the changes are essential to make France's pension system financially sustainable in the future.

Last month, the nine members of the French Constitutional Council, who are known as the 'Sages' or the 'Elders,' approved most of the government's controversial legislation.

Macron then signed the approved section of the bill into law, and the changes, which include the headline policy change to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, are due to come into force on September 1.

 

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday

MORE FROM CGTN

{"type":2,"value":"Evangelo Sipsas in Athens","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

Europe

17:30, 23-Jul-2025

Gaza: Children starve to death, aid groups protest as staff go hungry
{"type":2,"value":"CGTN","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

Europe

15:31, 23-Jul-2025

{"type":2,"value":"Johannes Pleschberger in Vienna","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

Europe

12:21, 23-Jul-2025

{"type":2,"value":"H.E. Fei Shengchao","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

Europe

12:20, 23-Jul-2025

TOP NEWS

Xi meets European Council president, European Commission president
{"type":2,"value":"CGTN","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

China

03:10, 24-Jul-2025

China urges opposition to unilateral tariffs at WTO
{"type":2,"value":"CGTN","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

China

01:47, 24-Jul-2025

Russia, Ukraine agree on prisoner exchange, differ on ceasefire
{"type":2,"value":"CGTN","commentator":[],"valueShow":true,"commentatorShow":false}

Europe

00:33, 24-Jul-2025

Search Trends