France’s Socialist government has taken the risky and controversial decision to bypass parliament and use a special decree to force through a contested labour reform bill by its president, François Hollande, that has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters on to the streets.





The defiant move by the government came as it faces growing pressure from its own rebel MPs and an ongoing street protest movement that has seen violent clashes. The government opted to use a heavy-handed and rare constitutional tactic which allows policies to be pushed through without a parliamentary debate after it failed to win over its own group of rebels.





The move immediately sparked a flurry of criticism from deputies and unions who accused Hollande of authoritarianism and political weakness. “This is really an authoritarian government,” said Jean-Claude Mailly, head of the Force Ouvrière trade union. “If it was really a bill for social progress ... the majority [vote] would be found.”





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The move to legislate by decree has been used only once before by Hollande, when he forced through another package of controversial economic measures last year.





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