constitutional council France today approved the main points of the pension reform plan, one of the flagship reforms of his second term Emmanuel Macron, against which trade unions, opposition parties and demonstrators have been protesting for months.

According to a press release from the council, members of the French Constitutional Council criticized some minor aspects of the reform but did not reject the main measure, which would raise the statutory retirement age from the current 62 to 64.

It is noted that the President of France invited the French trade unions to meet with him on Tuesday.

“This will definitely be the beginning of a cycle that the president and government will continue in the coming weeks with the social partners. The doors of the Champs Elysees will remain open for this dialogue without any conditions,” the head of the French state said.

Macron’s government was hoping for a green light as it could head off the protests and allow him to pass the bill and move forward with other reforms.

“The country must continue to move forward, work and meet the challenges we face,” said President Emmanuel Macron during an official visit to the Netherlands.

But unions and the opposition warn that months of heated debate and protest over the pension bill, which the government pushed through parliament without a vote due to lack of a majority, will not pass quickly, even after Council approval.

The French president must withdraw the bill, “otherwise he will not be able to govern this country,” Sophie Binet, the new head of the hardline CGT union, said Thursday, warning of more strikes.

Political observers say widespread dissatisfaction with government reform could have long-term implications, including a possible push on the far right.

^{According to APE – MEB, Reuters, AFP}