LyrArc Article Gist
President Macron moved to invoke an article in the French constitution that allows the government to pass a law bypassing the legislature. He used this to pass his pension overhaul. The law allows the president to bypass the National Assembly. A motion can then be introduced in the National Assembly to censure the president. This cannot pass because Macron's party has a majority in the National Assembly. Opposition lawmakers had hoped to introduce thousands of amendments to stall legislation on pensions. 

Under the overhaul the entire salary history of employees are taken into account in calculating a pension amount. Previously the highest earning 25 years were used. For civil servants the last 6 months of service were used. The pension system was also fragmented providing different terms to different groups with some more favored than others. To maintain the old system a 40 day transport strike was organized in December 2019, but failed to change public opinion on the issue which favors a single pension system instead of the many different and disparate pension schemes with different rules.