The crucial pronouncement of the French constitutional court on the disputed pension reform is expected at 18:00: this is what
the French broadcaster, Bfmt, reports.
After almost three months of uninterrupted protests, the wise men of Paris are today called upon to pronounce themselves on the contested reform which raises the retirement age from 62 to 64.
After yesterday's 12th day of mobilization, with the unions in the square united but clearly less numerous marches, the decision of nine "wise men" could represent a turning point.
The possible scenarios are those of total approval, which constitutionalists deem unlikely given the accelerated procedure to which the government has resorted.
In this case, the president would promulgate the law in the coming weeks for an entry into force in the summer.
The trade unions have already announced that their battle in the square - in this case - will not stop.
Then there is the hypothesis of a total rejection of the reform law, defined by members of the government as "the catastrophe scenario", the one for which the country would have been thrown into turmoil for months without any reason.
In the case, considered more probable, of not validating only some parts of the law, or a part of the procedure used, the government would be called upon to re-propose the reform in the correct way.
According to a note from the French services consulted by the Bfmt, 131 rallies are expected today throughout France, for an estimated total of 41,000 demonstrators.
In Paris, a new protest sit-in is expected at the end of the afternoon, in front of the Hotel de Ville, the town hall, following an appeal by some unions united in demanding the withdrawal of the reform.
The perimeter around the Palais Royal, the historic seat of the constitutional council, in the heart of Paris, between the Louvre museum and the National Library of France, has been armored, where the police headquarters have banned any form of demonstration until 8 am tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, calls are circulating on social networks to demonstrate also in front of Notre-Dame de Paris, on the occasion of today's visit by Emmanuel Macron to the construction site of the cathedral partially devastated by flames in
