It was expected, it is now recorded. As the Prime Minister announced in the late Saturday, February 29, in the National Assembly, the government has chosen to use article 49-3 of the Constitution to pass its bill on the reform of pensions.
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The possibility of resorting to this article had been felt for several days. At the beginning of the week, Les Républicains had also proposed " an alternative " to this by proposing to suspend the debates and " redeposit " a new project.
Read also: Édouard Philippe announces the use of article 49-3 on the pension reform project
Now acted upon, this decision does not fail to react. The left opposition immediately announced its intention to table a government censure motion, which however has no chance of being adopted. She has 24 hours to do so.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, from La France insoumise, condemned a “ particularly deceitful ” process:
The president of the LFI group in the National Assembly confirmed the tabling of a censure motion with the communists and probably the socialists.
Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally, denounced a " coup de force ". "They are using the anxiety and concern of the French over the coronavirus crisis to be able to pass what is a coup, knowing that they refused to submit this pension reform to a referendum, " said she estimated. She said that her political party would vote " all references to censorship ", whether from the right or from the left.
" What a mistake, " thundered the former majority deputy Matthieu Orphelin. " The government is depriving itself of the contribution of parliamentarians when many of us, for weeks, have been working and proposing solutions to end the crisis, " he said.
The first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure spoke of an " unacceptable method ":
" This use of 49.3 is further proof of weakness on the part of the Prime Minister! "Said Christian Jacob, president of the Republicans.
“ On the sly, on a Saturday afternoon, (the government) adds cowardice to his loneliness. A new battle is opening: that of the reconquest of this power that they are stealing from us , ”expressed for his part the deputy François Ruffin (LFI), on Twitter.
The general secretary of Force Ouvrière, Yves Veyrier, denounced the government's " incomprehensible and unacceptable attitude ". " The crisis situation, relating to the coronavirus epidemic, requires on the contrary the greatest national solidarity and consequently appeasement, a fortiori on such a controversial subject, where the government is increasingly isolated ", lamented Yves Veyrier calling " to stop the parliamentary process ".