French government forces through pension reforms by decree

French president Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform will be pushed through parliament by decree, the country’s government announced on Saturday.
The need for a vote was avoided after opposition legislators filed more than 40,000 amendments to the draft law. Critics described the decision to force through the legislation as “undemocratic”.
The reform led to weeks of public-sector strikes and street protests that paralyzed the country. The new scheme implies introduction of a €1,000 minimum monthly pension for those who have worked a full career; mandatory minimum retirement age of 62; and bonus system to encourage people to work till the age of 64.
Under the new rules, the worker will receive a lower pension if they were self-employed for a while, or had health issues that prevented them from working for some period.
“I have decided to engage the government’s responsibility on the bill creating a universal retirement system, not to put an end to debate but to end this period of non-debate”, the country’s PM Edouard Philippe told the lower house of parliament.
Some lawmakers from Macron’s centrist Republic on the Move party have suggested that forcing through the legislation may hurt the party in the polls. France’s municipal elections are to be held between 15 and 22 March.