France’s Constitutional Council Friday approved President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform law amid protests and anger towards the reform. Earlier this week one of JURIST’s staff members from Paris, France warned of renewed protests if the council approved the pension reform. Following the approval, protesters did just that, taking to the streets of France to express their disapproval of the reform.

The Constitutional Council analyzed the law according to constitutional guidelines set out in Articles 34 and 47-1 of the French Constitution, which establish social security financing laws and the provisions regarding the manner in which such laws can be passed. The council found that, in accordance with Articles 34 and 47-1, Macron’s pension reform law is well-founded in the constitution and that Macron had grounds to choose concrete methods which seem appropriate to him to modify, repeal or replace previous policies with new ones.

The council found that, because Macron’s intention behind the pension reform was to ensure the financial balance of France’s pay-as-you-go pension system and to guarantee its stability, he utilized concrete methods to modify the country’s pension laws. Macron offering early retirement for people with long careers or with an incapacity to work as determined by regulation also exemplified concrete methods for modification.

The council’s constitutional approval of the pension reform comes approximately one month after France’s Senate approved the bill with 195 votes for the reform and 112 against. Now, with constitutional approval, the bill is expected to be gradually introduced in the fall. The pension reform is set to raise France’s legal retirement age from 62 to 64.