France's Constitutional Council validates Macron's unpopular pension reform

The banner reform in the legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 was validated by the Constitutional Council after almost three months of protests opposing the measure.

The court struck out six measures not seen as fundamental to the essence of the reform and threw out a request filed by the left for a referendum on an alternative pension law that would keep the retirement age at 62.

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