The French government deployed its executive powers on Thursday to push President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform through parliament without a vote. The decision to use the constitutional tool was made minutes before a vote on the bill was set to take place in the National Assembly.
A Council of Ministers was convened on Thursday to allow the government to trigger powers in article 49.3 of the constitution that would allow it to adopt the reform, which has led to months of social unrest.
