France's leftist party France Unbowed (LFI) announced its plan to introduce legislation on Tuesday to repeal President Emmanuel Macron's contentious pension reform, which raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. The bill seeks to reverse changes that sparked widespread protests last year.
Cancelling Macron's key reform – which is aimed at protecting the state's finances and boosting productivity – is one of the main projects of France's left-wing camp which emerged as the strongest force from snap parliamentary elections last month while falling short of a majority.
"We will, today, put down a legal proposition to cancel the pension reforms," said Mathilde Panot, who heads France Unbowed in the lower house of parliament, on France Inter radio.
The reform which pushes legal retirement age from 62 to 64, resulted in violent street protests last year, due to widespread opposition from workers.
Parliamentary deadlock
LFI's bill, which is unlikely to be voted on before September, would need the support of lawmakers beyond the New Popular Front (NFP) left-wing coalition to pass.
The NFP – which bring together Socialists, Communists, Greens and the France Unbowed – has more than 190 seats in the National Assembly.
The right-wing National Rally party, which holds 143 seats, had also campaigned on lowering the retirement age while Macron's centrist bloc (164 seats) and other centre-right politicians said they would oppose such a move.
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France is in a state of parliamentary deadlock since Macron's decision to call the election, with the current government likely to carry out its functions throughout the summer in a caretaker capacity.
Despite days of negotiations, the NPF alliance has still not managed to name a consensus candidate for prime minister.
Gabriel Attal – who stepped down from the role last Tuesday – will oversee daily affairs with restricted powers until a new government is named.
While Macron has not set a deadline for this process, he said on Monday he was hoping for a "political truce" during the Olympic Games.
Macron is set to elaborate on his political vision on Tuesday evening during a televised interview.
(with Reuters)
