The papers that are reading: 64 years, are held by far-left lawmakers. There is no appointment in the street, but we are continuing at the National Assembly in Paris on March 20, 2023. PHOTO AP PARIS - Protesters set piles of rubbish on fire in central Paris on Monday after President Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly survived a no-confidence motion in parliament on Monday over pension reform.
The failure of the no-confidence vote will be a relief for Macron. Had it succeeded, he would have sunk his government and killed the legislation, which is set to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.
In some of Paris' most prestigious avenues firefighters scrambled to put out burning rubbish piles left uncollected for days due to strikes as protesters played cat-and- mouse with police.
On Thursday, a Reuters reporter saw police fire tear gas and briefly charge at protesters after the no-confidence vote fell short of enough votes to pass.
The unions and opposition parties said they would step up protests to try and force a u-turn.
The no-confidence motion on the tripartisan was closer than expected. Some 278 MPs supported it, just nine short of the 287 needed for it to succeed.
ALSO READ: Pension overhaul: Police clash with protesters in Paris
Opponents say this shows Macron's decision to bypass a parliamentary vote on the pension bill - which triggered the no confidence motions - has already undermined his reformist agenda and weakened his leadership.
As soon as the failure of the no-confidence vote was announced, lawmakers from the hard left La France Insoumise LFI, France Unbowed shouted Resign! We'll meet in the streets, said Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. "Nothing is solved, we'll do all we can to make sure that the reform is pulled back," Mathilde Panot, LFI parliamentary group chief, told reporters.
A man passes by a protester in Lyon, central France, after parliament adopted a divisive pension bill, March 20, 2023. PHOTO AP More strikes to come
In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, about 200 -- 300 people, mostly youngsters, gathered against the reform and chanted: Macron, resign! A couple of trash bins were lit on fire as the crowd chanted: This will blow up. ALSO READ: Pressure mounts on Macron after violent unrest over pensions.
Over the past three nights, the clashes over pension reform in Paris and throughout the country have been similar to the Yellow Vest protests that erupted in late 2018 over high fuel prices.
On Thursday, there will be a ninth nationwide day of strikes and protests.
The CGT union said after the vote, nothing undermines the mobilization of workers and called for workers to step up industrial action and participate massively in rolling strikes and demonstrations. The bill could be challenged by the opposition in the Constitutional Council, which could decide to strike down some or all of it if it breaches the constitution.
READ MORE: Paris police, protesters clash for the third night over pension reform.
A second motion of no confidence, presented by the far-right National Rally RN, failed, after it gathered only 94 votes. Other opposition parties said they would not vote for it.
Marine Le Pen, a far-right leader, said Borne should go. She said that Macron should call a referendum on the reform but was unlikely to do so. She told reporters he's deaf to what the French people want.