In first for France, MPs move to trigger referendum on privatisations

French opposition MPs and senators claimed a victory for democracy Wednesday after using a little-known constitutional article to try to trigger a referendum on the government's controversial plans to privatise Paris' airports.

In a rare display of non-partisanship, lawmakers straddling the spectrum from the far left to the right banded together Tuesday to propose a "referendum d'initiative populaire" (RIP) on the privatisation of Aeroports de Paris, operator of Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget airports.

This is the first time ever that opposition lawmakers have come together to try force a referendum on an issue, using a measure introduced by former president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 to boost participatory democracy.

Socialist Party spokesman Boris Vallaud told France 2 broadcaster on Wednesday that MPs were determined to block a "major strategic error, because Aeroports de Paris is not just a regular company".

Referendums are rare in France, with the last one dating to 2005 when voters rejected a new European constitution.

Some of the "yellow vests" protesters behind five months of weekly rallies over social inequality and what they see as France's failure to give ordinary citizens a say in law-making hailed the move.

"It's thanks to us. Great! At least maybe we have a sort of lobby power," Jerome Rodrigues, one of the movement's leaders, told France Info radio.

Praising the lawmakers, he said: "For once they did what they are paid for, to listen to, and carry the voice of the people in French institutions."