Paris (EFE) .
More than ever, the president’s party showed its weakness in the National Assembly, where Élisabeth Borne’s Executive faced two motions of no confidence, for a total of 16 since he was appointed a year ago, and saved his skin by a narrow margin.
The first motion, presented by a group of centrist, regionalist and independent deputies, brought together 278 of the 287 necessary votes, while that of the extreme right had only 94, slightly more than the votes of Marine Le Pen’s party.
The second of the motions of censure, this one presented by the extreme right, was rejected by a majority, having obtained only 94 of the 287 necessary votes in the National Assembly.
The result is a relief for the Government, but also the verification that its room for maneuver hangs by a thread and that each initiative faces a rocky road, while giving wings to continue the social mobilization against the Executive.
Since Macron’s party lost an absolute majority in the legislative elections last June, Borne has not known how to forge alliances, which has led him to go eleven times to approve reforms without a parliamentary vote.
Until now, the prime minister had managed, for better or worse, to carry out projects thanks to the support of the traditional right of Los Republicanos (LR), but in the pension reform this party fractured.
Almost a third of the 61 deputies of the LR supported this time the first motion of no confidence, against Macron’s pension reform, which puts the government pending a party in full decomposition, with internecine wars three months after having held a congress.
The leadership of LR assured that the exclusion of the 19 wayward deputies is being considered.
The opposition grows
Both the left and the extreme right almost saw the tightness of the result as a victory, since they ensured that the support of the Executive deteriorates over the months.
In addition, they announced an appeal before the Constitutional Council against the pension reform, which will delay its entry into force for a few weeks.
But the left was clear in appealing to continue the fight against this reform in the streets, where since the beginning of the year the unions have multiplied the days of demonstrations and strikes.
“Nine votes cannot stop social democracy. The people have to take action on the matter and that is what they are going to do”, assured the leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who appealed to continue demonstrating against this reform that delays two years, until 64, the minimum retirement age.
The leader of the extreme right, Marine Le Pen, for her part, considered that “the Government loses legitimacy” and appealed to Macron to call a referendum on the pension reform.
Le Pen considered that the political crisis that the country is experiencing can only be overcome “through the ballot box”, for which reason he called for a dissolution of the chambers and the calling of legislatures.
Opponents of the reform continued to demonstrate against it in various cities across the country, while the most combative union, the CGT, assured that the approval of the reform “does not stop the determination of the workers.”
Shortly after the votes in the Assembly, a rally was formed in Vauban Square, next to Napoleon’s mausoleum, against the reform.
Several sectors, such as transport, education or garbage collection in various cities, are calling for a strike in the coming days and the unions have called a ninth day of strikes and demonstrations for this Thursday.
During the debate on the motions of no confidence, the Prime Minister defended that the reform was one of Macron’s commitments during the campaign and accused the opposition of granting more legitimacy to the street than to the institutions.
“The democratic path of this essential reform ends,” said the head of government after the rejection of the motions.
The head of government assured that “no one has the monopoly to speak on behalf of the people” and called for respect for democratic institutions.
riots in the streets
Several French cities have experienced this Monday spontaneous demonstrations and riots caused by groups of opponents of the pension reform, after the rejection of the motions of censure against the Government approved this measure.
In Paris, small street fires have been recorded in several parts of the city, taking advantage of the mountains of garbage that accumulate in the streets after several days of strikes by collection personnel.
The police have intervened at many of these points, but the protesters, mostly in small groups, moved throughout the city making it difficult for them to intervene.
This is the fourth consecutive night with riots in cities across the country, after last Thursday the Executive decided to approve the pension reform without a parliamentary vote.
By Luis Miguel Pascual