The political crisis was caused by the attempt of the French cabinet to pass the pension reform without a vote in the parliament. If the majority of deputies support the motion of no confidence, the government will have to resign.

Amid controversy over France’s controversial pension reform law, the opposition on Friday (March 17) passed two motions of no confidence in the government.entered. One resolution was submitted by the group of independent deputies and representatives of the outlying regions (LIOT), and the other by the far-right National Unity Party (RN). “The vote on the resolution opens the way out of the crisis,” said LIOT head Bertrand Panchet.

The French government opened the way for the implementation of the pension reform a day ago using the article of the constitution. According to him, there is a possibility of a vote of no confidence in the government. Voting at the National Assembly is likely to take place on Monday, March 20. 

If the majority of MPs vote for no confidence, then the pension reform will be rejected and the government will have to resign. Then French President Emmanuel Macron can appoint a new prime minister or hold new elections. Experts doubt that supporters of a no-confidence vote will get a majority because conservative Republicans support the government. If the no-confidence vote fails, the pension reform will be firmly adopted. 

The government’s attempts to implement pension reform without a vote in parliament have fueled opposition protests. On the morning of March 17, protesters temporarily blocked the Paris autobahn, Toulouse and Bordeaux train stations. In the evening, a large protest rally took place in the Place de la Solidarity in the center of Paris. 

Several hundred protesters threw bottles and fireworks at the police. Police used tear gas to clear the area. More than 60 people were arrested. New demonstrations were also held in Lyon, Strasbourg and Lille. The total number of those arrested reached 310 people. 
 
The CGT union announced a strike at an oil refinery in Normandy. Protesters have so far blocked only such factories, but they have continued to operate. At the moment, garbage is piling up in Paris due to the strike of municipal workers. There is a strong stench in the city. According to the calculations of the city administration, the volume of uncollected waste has reached ten thousand tons.