He's not governing by fiat... this time. The (impotent) legislature will remain in place until a new one is elected.
Now, the French constitution is about as authoritarian as it gets. So Macron actually has been ruling by fiat, like the Weimar Constitution allowed the president to rule by decree. He's allowed to rule by decree and the only way that can be stopped is if the French parliament adopts a vote of no confidence in the government. That is actually how he raised the retirement age.
President Emmanuel Macron, worried that France’s Parliament would not approve a fiercely contested bill raising the retirement age to 64 from 62, opted to ram the legislation through on Thursday without a full parliamentary vote
The government used a measure, known as the 49.3 after the relevant article of the Constitution, that allows certain bills to be passed without a vote. Opposition lawmakers now have 24 hours to file a no-confidence motion and have vowed to do so.
If the no-confidence motion is rejected, the bill stands and becomes the law of the land. If the no-confidence motion passes, Mr. Macron’s prime minister and cabinet have to resign and the bill is rejected.
He's not governing by fiat... this time. The (impotent) legislature will remain in place until a new one is elected.
Now, the French constitution is about as authoritarian as it gets. So Macron actually has been ruling by fiat, like the Weimar Constitution allowed the president to rule by decree. He's allowed to rule by decree and the only way that can be stopped is if the French parliament adopts a vote of no confidence in the government. That is actually how he raised the retirement age.
You can thank Charles de Gaulle for that.