The French Pension Crisis and the Future of the Republic.
The recent protests in France against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform package and his use of a constitutional loophole to force it through parliament have led to speculation about the possibility of a constitutional crisis and even a sixth republic. However, constitutional experts argue that while the current crisis is a political one, it is not yet a larger constitutional one. While the conditions for a sixth republic are not present, the crisis could lead to other institutional changes. Macron has already tried to amend the constitution during his first term, and a proposal to put the pension reform plan to a referendum is currently being examined by France's constitutional council.