Pension plan reforms presented by French President Nicolas Sarkozy were passed by France’s National Assembly on Wednesday, despite considerable controversy within the country. The pension plan bill proposed raising the minimum retirement age by two years to 62 by the year 2018.
The vote on the pension plan bill passed 329 votes to 233 in France’s lower house of parliament, after rounds of heated protests from the Socialists and French workers.
Following massive demonstrations with more than a million people protesting against the reform bill earlier this month, Members of Parliament began discussing the bill Tuesday night with stern opposition from the left.
Jean Marc Ayrault, Parliamentary leader of the Socialists, attacked the legislation, accusing the ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement, of protecting the rich and called Labor Minister Eric Woerth a “liar,” according to a Euronews report.
Seeing the proposed reform as an attack on the French way of life, labor unions demonstrated while Socialist members of parliament tried to delay the vote, but were ultimately denied.
“I will not allow the use of small maneuvers to obstruct our parliament in a paralyzing and deprecating way,” said house speaker Bernard Accoyer as he interrupted the parliamentary process, according to AFP.
Socialists claimed the bill was dangerous and unjust, and said they viewed the bill as a violation of worker’s rights. The bill, which still needs to be approved by the French Senate in October, raises the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and the age for receiving a full pension from 65 to 67.
President Sarkozy met with protesters and promised minor concessions to the original bill, but union groups were not content and called for strikes and protests on September 23.
Sarkozy said the reform was essential to cut spending and rein in France’s budget deficit. The French government argues that the change can save 70 billion euros (90 billion dollars) by 2030.
France is not the first country in Europe to consider a change to its pension policies. To deal with the recent economic crisis, increasing life expectancies, and a dwindling percentage of employed people having to provide for more elderly, European countries are increasingly turning to pension reform. Germany and Spain are gradually raising their retirement ages from 65 to 67, while the UK plans to increase its retirement age to 68. Greece is in the process of raising its retirement age from 61 to 63.
The vote on the pension plan bill passed 329 votes to 233 in France’s lower house of parliament, after rounds of heated protests from the Socialists and French workers.
Following massive demonstrations with more than a million people protesting against the reform bill earlier this month, Members of Parliament began discussing the bill Tuesday night with stern opposition from the left.
Jean Marc Ayrault, Parliamentary leader of the Socialists, attacked the legislation, accusing the ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement, of protecting the rich and called Labor Minister Eric Woerth a “liar,” according to a Euronews report.
Seeing the proposed reform as an attack on the French way of life, labor unions demonstrated while Socialist members of parliament tried to delay the vote, but were ultimately denied.
“I will not allow the use of small maneuvers to obstruct our parliament in a paralyzing and deprecating way,” said house speaker Bernard Accoyer as he interrupted the parliamentary process, according to AFP.
Socialists claimed the bill was dangerous and unjust, and said they viewed the bill as a violation of worker’s rights. The bill, which still needs to be approved by the French Senate in October, raises the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and the age for receiving a full pension from 65 to 67.
President Sarkozy met with protesters and promised minor concessions to the original bill, but union groups were not content and called for strikes and protests on September 23.
Sarkozy said the reform was essential to cut spending and rein in France’s budget deficit. The French government argues that the change can save 70 billion euros (90 billion dollars) by 2030.
France is not the first country in Europe to consider a change to its pension policies. To deal with the recent economic crisis, increasing life expectancies, and a dwindling percentage of employed people having to provide for more elderly, European countries are increasingly turning to pension reform. Germany and Spain are gradually raising their retirement ages from 65 to 67, while the UK plans to increase its retirement age to 68. Greece is in the process of raising its retirement age from 61 to 63.
