在 2023 年 4 月 14 日的裁決中，法國憲法法院裁定 2023 年修訂社會保障融資法案中最具爭議的條款，將退休年齡從 62 歲提高到 64 歲，符合憲法的相關規定。該法案由政府提出並未經議會表決通過，引發了該國廣泛的緊張局勢和動盪，其最終在憲法法院作出裁決的當天晚些時候由法國總統埃馬紐埃爾·馬克龍簽署成為法律。

憲法委員會引用了 1946 年 10 月 26 日憲法序言第 11 節，其中規定法律「應保障所有人，特別是兒童、母親和老年工人，均能享有健康、物質安全、休息和休閒。凡因年齡、身體或精神狀況或經濟狀況而不能工作的人，均有權從社會獲得適當的生存資料」。雖然這些規定創造了一項“憲法要求”，要求實施有利於退休工人的國家團結政策，但立法者可以自由選擇他們認為最適合滿足上述要求的方法，前提是該方法不應剝奪該要求享有法律保障。

憲法法院接著解釋說，法國立法者通過將私營部門僱員和公共部門人員的退休年齡從 62 歲提高到 64 歲的規定，意在「確保現收現付養老制度的財務平衡，從而保證其可持續性」。憲法法官認為，本次立法者選擇的方法「根據所追求的目標並非不合適」，而且其並未剝奪上述第 11 節中規定的憲法要求的法律保障。

據此，憲法委員會駁回了養老制度改革法案中有爭議的條款違反了 1946 年 10 月 26 日憲法序言第 11 節的申索，並裁定這些條款符合憲法。儘管申索者提出了其他違憲理由，但憲法法官僅裁定該法案的次要條款違憲，因此在很大程度上支持了有爭議的新立法。

參考資料：Décision n° 2023-849 DC du 14 avril 2023 | Conseil constitutionnel (conseil-constitutionnel.fr) | cst3.pdf (conseil-constitutionnel.fr)

Bill raising the retirement age approved by the Constitutional Council in France

In a decision dated April 14, 2023, the French constitutional court held the most controversial provisions of the Amending Social Security Financing Bill for 2023, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, to be conform to the Constitution. The bill, which was put forward by the government and adopted without a vote of the Parliament, has triggered widespread tensions and unrest in the country. It was finally signed into law by the French President Emmanuel Macron later on the day of the constitutional court’s decision.

The Constitutional Council cited Section 11 of the Preamble to the Constitution of October 26, 1946, which provides that the law “shall guarantee to all, notably to children, mothers and elderly workers, protection of their health, material security, rest, and leisure. All people who, by virtue of their age, physical or mental condition, or economic situation, are incapable of working, shall have the right to receive suitable means of existence from society”. While these provisions create a “constitutional requirement” calling for the implementation of a national solidarity policy in favor of retired workers, lawmakers are free to choose the methods that they deem most appropriate to meet such requirement, provided that such methods should not deprive such requirement from legal safeguards.

The constitutional court then went on to explain that the French legislator, by adopting the provisions raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 for private sector employees and public sector agents, intended to “ensure the financial equilibrium of the pay-as-you-go pension system, and thus guarantee its sustainability”. The method chosen here, held the constitutional judges, “is not inappropriate in light of the objective pursued” and the legislator did not deprive the constitutional requirement set out in Section 11 cited above from legal safeguards.

Accordingly, the Constitutional Council rejected the claim that these disputed provisions of the pension reform bill violated the Section 11 of the Preamble to the Constitution of October 26, 1946, and held such provisions to be conform to the Constitution. And while the petitioners raised other grounds for unconstitutionality, the constitutional judges only held minor provisions of the bill to be unconstitutional, thus largely endorsing the controversial new piece of legislation.

Reference materials: Décision n° 2023-849 DC du 14 avril 2023 | Conseil constitutionnel (conseil-constitutionnel.fr) | cst3.pdf (conseil-constitutionnel.fr)

by 黃愷蜜 顧問