France’s Constitutional Council has given the go-ahead to President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial plan to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64.
The council also dismissed opposition demands for a referendum on the matter. Although the ruling sparked protests, the government had already used a special constitutional power to enact the reforms without a vote in March.
Macron’s government has argued that the changes are necessary to prevent the pension system from collapsing. The council did strike out some of the reforms citing legal flaws, including a proposal encouraging companies with over 1,000 employees to hire workers over the age of 55.