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.

The motion of censure against the government for imposing Macron’s despised cuts without a vote fell 9 votes short of a majority in the Assembly, allowing them to become law.

Protesters are surrounded by riot police during a demonstration on the day the National Assembly debates and votes on two motions of no-confidence against the French government, tabled by centrist group Liot and far-right Rassemblement National party,

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