STORY: It was a heated debate during which some MPs demonstratively left the plenary hall of the French National Assembly in Paris. In the end, the French government narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in connection with the controversial pension reform. According to initial information, 278 members of the National Assembly voted in favor of the bill on Monday evening, nine fewer than would have been necessary. A second request from the right was considered to have no chance. A fall of the government would also have meant the end of the reform that Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had pushed through while bypassing parliament. The centerpiece of the reform is raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. President Emmanuel Macron had presented the reform as absolutely necessary. Experts assume that the government is now considerably weakened. It is expected that the protests against the reform – like here on Monday in Rennes – will continue for weeks and put a strain on the economy. Polls show Macron’s popularity has fallen to its lowest level since the so-called “yellow vest” protests.