Pensions: Édouard Philippe leaves open the possibility of 49.3

The Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, on Tuesday left open the possibility of using Article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the pension reform project adopted without a vote, including 70 hours of debate n have only made it possible so far to adopt the first of the 65 articles.

"When it is necessary to take responsibility, I do so without hesitation and I use the whole Constitution, nothing but the Constitution, but indeed the whole Constitution", argued during current affairs questions the head of government , according to whom "it is up to the National Assembly itself to bring this debate to life". "But from a certain moment, it must be clear: we are committed to this universal system of pension by distribution and by points and the commitment of the government, the majority fact, it exists", he said. added.

The use of Article 49, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, which requires a green light from the Council of Ministers, allows the Prime Minister to engage his responsibility on a text of law, and thus have it adopted without a vote of Parliament (excluding mention of censorship).

"My ambition is obviously to ensure that the debate takes place, that it is the most serious, the most in-depth, the most intelligent possible so that it precisely fulfills its eminent function which falls to Parliament , that is to say, to lay down the law," said Édouard Philippe.

"But if that is not possible, if after many, many hours of debate we find that it is not possible, then the Constitution authorizes, if necessary, the Prime Minister to use an article: 49.3", further detailed the head of government, recalling that several of his right-wing predecessors, in particular Édouard Balladur and Jean-Pierre Raffarin, had used it in their time.

Read also: Pensions: the shadow of 49-3 hangs over the debates in the Assembly

Waiting position

In the morning, the Prime Minister had already asked the LREM deputies to "hold on" in the face of the "obstruction" of the left of the left on the pension reform , while ensuring that if necessary, he would take his "responsibilities" by resorting to 49.3, according to reports.

"Our objective" is to "adopt the reform before the summer", he had again recalled, stressing that for this purpose, an adoption at first reading is necessary in March in the National Assembly.

Several "walkers" welcomed this waiting position, while some pushed the government for a quick 49.3 a few days ago. "We have three weeks of debates which we can take full advantage of and we have enough to keep going," one of them told AFP.

In a press release, the MoDem deputies said they were "ready to provide [their] support to the government if it decides to use 49.3, the only possible way out of this reckless and dangerous blockage for our democracy".

But the text submitted "must unquestionably be enriched by advances already discussed between the social partners and the government" and amendments by deputies, they warn.

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