PARIS
President of the French National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet said on Thursday that a motion proposed by parliament members of the centrist opposition LIOT group to revoke pension reform is “clearly” not acceptable due to Article 40 of the constitution.
Braun-Pivet called on Eric Coquerel, president of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, to challenge the proposal.
“The Chairman of the Finance Committee, who is currently dealing with the matter of Article 40, has the authority to declare the inadmissibility,” she told South Radio, adding that “the law creates a financial burden on our public finances, which goes against the provisions of this article.”
According to Article 40 of the French constitution, any proposals or amendments made by parliamentarians that would reduce revenue or increase public expenses are not allowed.
“It is his mission, and I hope that, like me, he will fulfill it completely,” she said, emphasizing that “I cannot imagine him making any decision other than declaring it inadmissible.”
Following a series of strikes and demonstrations against the pension reform, which entails increasing the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, the unions have expressed their support for the LIOT group’s proposal. The proposal is set to be discussed on June 8.
Coquerel immediately responded to Braun- Pivet’s remarks on Twitter, saying “However, someone will still have to explain to me the logic behind the fact that the Assembly’s bureau, chaired by Yael Braun-Pivet, validates this bill, including under Article 40 but then firmly believes that it would be my responsibility to invalidate it.”
