French Government Survives No-Confidence Vote Amid Street Protests

The government of French President Emmanuel Macron narrowly survived a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) on Monday after pushing through plans to reform the unpopular pension system. However, the government continues to face challenges as strikes and protests persist. The vote outcome is a relief for Macron, as a successful no-confidence vote would have led to the downfall of his government and his plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. Nonetheless, this relief quickly dissipated in the streets as violent clashes broke out in several French cities in response to the adoption of the pension reform law. Furthermore, the vote in favor of the government came with a smaller margin than expected, with a total of 278 deputies voting for the no-confidence motion, just nine votes shy of the 287 needed to oust the government.