French Senate approves pension reform plan ahead of National Assembly vote

Protesters at a demonstration in Paris against the pension reform hold a sign calling retirement at 49.3 years old, referring to a constitutional provision that would allow the Prime Minister to ram through the legislation without a vote in parliament. © Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

A final version of the controversial pension reform that has set off massive protests and strikes in France was approved on Thursday in the Senate. The reform passed by 193 votes to 114 and will now be put to the National Assembly, where President Emmanuel Macron's faces a battle to pass the legislation.

A joint commission of Senators and MPs on Wednesday agreed on a final version of the bill which would raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years old.