On Friday, French Lower House began the last day of debate on the controversial pension system reform bill proposed by President Emmanuel Macron.
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The lawmakers will have until midnight to discuss the bill before it passes to the Senate. So far, however, they have not discussed all articles.
"The government is responsible for this situation since it limited to twelve days the debate," France Insoumise party lawmaker Paul Vannier recalled.
To speed up discussions, the New People’s Green and Social Union (NUPES) legislators withdrew almost 90 percent of the amendments that they had proposed to ensure that the bill respects more workers' rights.
However, lawmakers fear this initiative will not give them enough time to discuss Article 7, which trade unions have forcibly rejected since it proposes to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Far-right lawmaker Marine Le Pen filed a motion of no confidence against Macron to delay the bill’s delivery to the Senate.
"We want lawmakers who oppose pension reform to be able to express their rejection of the bill," Le Pen alleged.
The motion, however, has little chance of being approved because the left-wing lawmakers have already announced that they will not back it.
Senators are likely to start discussions on the bill on Feb. 27. Once this process is completed, a joint committee of representatives of the Lower House and the Senate must agree on a final version of the bill on March 15.
"If the legislators do not listen to the popular rejection of the reform and finally approve it, we will paralyze the country on March 7," said Frederic Souillot, leader of the Labor Force (FO).