Two no-confidence votes against French President Emmanuel Macron's government have failed in the country's parliament, clearing the way for his hugely unpopular pension reforms to be implemented and sparking new protests in Paris.

Two no-confidence votes failed to oust the cabinet of President Emmanuel Macron over a new law raising the retirement age to 64 from 62.

Firefighters and police officers work as smoke rises from burning materials on a highway during a protest against pension reform, in Rennes, France, March 20, 2023, in this image obtained from social

To bring down the government, Macron's opponents require the support of a majority of the 577 lawmakers, in an alliance that would need to span from the hard left to the far right

France’s government is fighting for its survival against no-confidence motions filed by lawmakers furious that President Emmanuel Macron used special constitutional powers to force through without a v