France’s Constitutional Council upholds raising of legal retirement age to 64

 The French constitutional court on Friday approved the key elements of President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform, clearing the way for a raising of the retirement to 64. The court also threw out a request filed by the left for a referendum on an alternative pension law that would keep the retirement age at 62.

Far-left La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said on Twitter, "the Constitutional Council decision shows that it is more attentive to the needs of the presidential monarchy than to those of the sovereign people. The fight continues and must gather its forces".

Far-right Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen tweeted "the constitutional court decision may close the institutional sequence, but the political fate of the pension reform has not been sealed. The people always have the last word, it is the people's right to prepare for the change in power that will be the result of this unnecessary and unjust reform," Le Pen said on Twitter.

Separately, the Constitutional Council rejected a proposal by the opposition to organise a citizens' referendum on the pension reform.

The opposition has tabled another bid for a referendum, which should be reviewed by the Council early May.