breaking news French government narrowly survives vote of no confidence

Some 278 MPs voted in favor of a three-party no-confidence motion tabled by a centrist party and others, nine short of the 287 needed for it to succeed.

A second no-confidence motion, tabled by the far-right National Rally (RN), had no chance of passing later on Monday, with other opposition parties saying they would not vote for it .

The move comes amid weeks of protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s government over a pension overhaul – which will push the retirement age up to 64 from the current 62. It also led to unrest and protests in Paris and across the country, with many people even being arrested.

Macron’s office said on Sunday evening that it had called the presidents of the upper house of the Senate as well as the National Assembly to inform them that it wanted the pension reform to reach the end of its democratic process.

He also informed that the government was mobilized to protect parliamentarians who were under pressure before Monday’s vote.

On Friday, opposition deputies tabled two motions of censure in parliament.

Liot, the centrist group, had proposed a multiparty motion of censure, also co-signed by the Nupes, a far-left alliance. A few hours later, the National Rally Party, which is the far-right party in the country, which has 88 deputies in the National Assembly, also tabled a motion of censure.

What is the stake of the pension reform?

Macron had made social reforms, including that of the pension system, a key policy for his re-election in 2022.

His decision to force a pension reform bill without a vote has infuriated the opposition and could also hamper changes in government to pass the legislation for the remaining four years of his term.

On Thursday, demonstrators hoisted a parody photograph during protests after the French president chose at the last minute to invoke the government’s constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote in the National Assembly.

France has a pension system where the active population must pay social charges to finance those who are retired. Every French worker benefits from a public pension.

Over the past 40 years, every French president has changed pension regulations in one way or another.

The Macron government says changes to pensions are needed to avoid crippling deficits in the coming decades, which are linked to France’s aging population.

Those who oppose the reform say it places an unfair burden on low-income people, women as well as those involved in physically demanding jobs.

The adoption of the reform on Thursday sparked demonstrations across Paris and the country, with many arrests.