French PM forces through reforms to revive anemic economy

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday decided, for the second time in months, to pass a controversial bill via a decree and without lawmakers' approval to "move forward in the interest of French people."

The reforms, proposed by economy minister Emmanuel Macro, aim to let shops open up to 12 Sundays a year from five currently, with more flexibility on opening hours in tourist zones.

The law also wants to open long-distance bus routes and previously closed professions such as notaries to greater competition.

Reiterating the government's "intact determination" to fix economic troubles of the eurozone's second largest economy, Valls used forces via 49-3 decree, for lack of majority, to adopt the bill after being amended in a second reading.

With the controversial bill, the government wants to avoid sanctions that the European Union (EU) could impose if France, failed to rein in its wide budget deficit, quicken growth, and lower millions of jobless claims.

The opposition conservatives, centrists, and even several lawmakers from the the Socialist camp have accused the government of being too pro-business. A motion proposed by parties Les Republicains and UDI will pass on the National Assembly for a vote on Thursday evening. If it fails, the law would be adopted.

In a press release, the Greens denounced the Socialists' resorting to pushing through the bill which "demonstrates again that there is no majority vote for a text which will further undermine the rights of employees."

To Christian Jacob, the head of Les Republicains group at the National Assembly, the decree 49-3 is "the weapon of the weak and weakened powers." Endit