France to push through pension reform by decree, without vote

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the government would push its contested pension reform through parliament by decree, avoiding the need for a vote after the opposition filed more than 40,000 amendments to the draft law.

The reform is the single greatest overhaul of France's pension system since World War Two and prompted weeks of public sector strikes and street protests before opponents of the legislation took the battle to parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron loyalists branded the mountain of amendments a cynical ploy to stall the pension bill's passage through parliament.