French PM bypassing tight pension vote because reform is essential - aide

The French government is bypassing a vote in parliament over changes to the pension system because there was insufficient support for a reform it deemed fundamental and necessary.

"The prime minister ... is doing this because she is convinced that this reform is necessary to guarantee the future of our pension system," an aide close to the prime minister said.

Attempting to begin reading a statement in parliament, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was confronted by leftwing lawmakers who sang the national anthem, booed, and held up messages saying 'No to 64' in reference to the raised pension age.