France: Government faces confidence vote on reform law

ANKARA

Right-wing members of the French parliament demanded a no-confidence vote against the government on Thursday.

The vote will take place after the passage by decree of an economic reform law on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls, with the support of President Francois Hollande, pushed the economic reform through to its second reading by using the so-called "section 49-3" of the constitution.

That article permits members of parliament to challenge the decree with a no-confidence vote. Valls had recourse to a similar decree in February to pass the law at its first reading.

The law liberalizes a number of specific sectors of the economy, including greater flexibility for temporary work, reduces some corporate taxation, permits retail stores to operate on Sundays and deregulates some forms of public transport, among many other measures.

The bill was opposed both by members of parliament on the right, and by a number of lawmakers from the ruling Socialist Party. "It is a confession of weakness," complained Socialist MP Benoit Hamon in an interview on i-Télé.

Valls justified the decree in an interview on TF1 on Tuesday evening: "I do not wish to force my country to face 10 days of guerilla warfare in parliament," Valls said, adding: "We need this law to increase economic growth and to create jobs."

Observers do not expect the no-confidence vote to succeed, as a similar vote on the decree in February failed with a large majority supporting the government.

ANKARA

Right-wing members of the French parliament demanded a no-confidence vote against the government on Thursday.

The vote will take place after the passage by decree of an economic reform law on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls, with the support of President Francois Hollande, pushed the economic reform through to its second reading by using the so-called "section 49-3" of the constitution.

That article permits members of parliament to challenge the decree with a no-confidence vote. Valls had recourse to a similar decree in February to pass the law at its first reading.

Observers do not expect the no-confidence vote to succeed, as a similar vote on the decree in February failed with a large majority supporting the government.