The French are waiting to hear the conclusion of the pension reform today from the parliament, where the final version of the text arrives for examination at 16:00 Greek time. A critical day for the unions, the strikers, but also the MPs. It depends on where they will cast their vote – and the edifice of the 5th Republic is creaking.

All eyes are on the right-wing Republicans today due to doubts about the 4-5 votes needed to secure a majority for French President Emmanuel Macron.

The insecurity finally touched the French President, who at 9 last night came down from his “Olympic throne” in the Elysee and gathered around him the heads of the favored groups and parties of the parliament in order to convince them.

Macron faces a dilemma

Of course, if he wants, he can proceed arbitrarily without a vote based on Article 49 paragraph 3. A formidable weapon provided by the Constitution so that he does not risk a possible failure with the vote.

“Bazooka or Russian roulette”, that’s how some liken Macron’s dilemma. At the same time, as the opposition states, motions of censure or even rejection are ready to be submitted to the parliament depending on the development.

Be that as it may, “the anger and the protest will not stop individually and collectively”, Laurent Berget, the most reformist of the trade unionists, declared early in the morning on state radio.