France’s National Assembly descended into chaos as lawmakers voted to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform until 2028. The fiery session saw shouting matches, accusations of sexism, and Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet calling MPs to order after a heated exchange between Green MP Sandrine Rousseau and conservative Gerault Verny. The reform—meant to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64—was frozen after opposition parties, including the National Rally and the Socialists, united against Macron, dealing another political blow to his struggling government already caught in a budget deadlock. #france #macron #apt
00:00This pension reform sent millions of people into the streets for weeks and weeks.
00:11The number of people who went to demonstrate had not been seen since 1968.
00:15It created incredible tension in the country and nearly two-thirds of the French people were against the pension reform.
00:26However, the government of Elizabeth Bourne at the time decided to bypass the life of Parliament and the National Assembly.
00:36We warned you at the time that there was nothing more unjust than setting a retirement age.
00:43Setting a retirement age means treating senior executives in the same way as workers and employees.
00:50It means treating all jobs in the same way, whether they are arduous or not.
00:55This moment of discussion in the National Assembly was a moment of great violence, let's say, and of great social violence above all.
01:05And so when we called upon you to discuss the postponement of this pension reform, even by a few months, even for a minority of people, a majority of my group decided to vote for the suspension and postponement of this reform.
01:23But I have a question, or rather, I have two questions for the government.
01:35How do you intend to finance the cost of this postponement of the pension reform?
01:41Do you intend to pass by decree what we rejected in the PLFSS, the doubling of medical deductibles, the introduction of dental deductibles, the reform of long-term illnesses, the reform of daily allowances and long-term sick leave?
02:05Because if you finance retirement, if you finance the retirement deferral through these reforms, you are making all the most vulnerable in society.
02:22All the most fragile in society, pay for a simple three-month deferral, even though you are asking us for the first time and on the occasion of this deferral to include in the Assembly's votes that we would have voted for 43 years of pensionable service and 64 years of age.
02:41So, I ask you this question, ministers.
02:45How are you, ladies and gentlemen, going to finance this deferral in 2026 and 2027?
02:53Ms. Rousseau, could you stop shouting when you speak?
02:56Are you annoying us or, failing that, could you lower the microphone?
03:00That is unacceptable.
03:02I call you to order immediately and your point of order is over.
03:06You have a call to order.
03:09It is intolerable.
03:11It is shameful.
03:13It's shameful.
03:16You don't realize.
03:22And I would like to point out that, in response to two previous speeches, again aimed at Mrs. Rousseau, I also called to order just a few minutes ago.
03:30I will not tolerate any sexist attacks in this chamber.
03:35It's over.
03:36It's over.
03:38Let's go.
03:39And so we will move forward with Article 45A, which is the subject of a public vote.
03:47I would ask you all to please return to your seats.
03:49The vote is open.
04:01The vote is closed.
04:06Voting was 505, 401, majority 2011 in favor, 255 against 146, the National Assembly has adopted it.
04:14Thank you, Mr. Deputy.
04:17I will put to the vote these amendments, which were both unfavorable to the committee and the government.
04:24This is a public vote.
04:25I would ask you all to please return to your seats.
04:28The vote is open.
04:32The vote is closed.
04:33Voting 494 expressed 336, majority 169 for 70 against 266, the National Assembly did not adopt.
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