STORY: In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s government pushed the controversial pension reform through parliament. And without a vote. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne referred to Article 49.3 of the Constitution on Thursday, according to which a government can assume responsibility for a law and waive a vote. “We cannot play with the future of our pensions, this reform is necessary,” she said to protests from opposition MPs. The law aims to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Representatives of the opposition immediately announced a vote of no confidence in Borne. However, it is unlikely to gain the necessary number of votes as most Conservative MPs are unlikely to support it. Observers see the process as evidence that Macron’s ability to organize majorities in parliament has declined, which is likely to affect future reform projects. The move could lead to a new wave of protests across the country. The project has been fought with mass rallies and strikes for weeks. More than 2,000 people gathered on the Place de la Concorde in Paris on Thursday to protest against the government’s actions. It is likely that unions, the opposition and other groups will continue to mobilize against raising the retirement age.