PARIS, April 14. /TASS/. France’s Constitutional Council on Friday upheld parts of the country’s pension reform as legitimate and approved raising the pension age from 62 years to 64 years, according to a decision published on its website.

The council turned down the request of leftist parties to hold a referendum to ban raising the minimum pension age.

The council also rejected some of the articles in the reform legislation, including the provisions introducing penalties for companies that refuse to hire people older than 55 years, special employment terms for pre-pension age people and the provisions granting early retirement for officials if they meet certain conditions.

France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne gave the following comment on Twitter: "The text is coming to the end of its democratic process. Tonight there is no winner or loser."

The BFM television channel earlier reported that French President Emmanuel Macron could give his final approval to the reform within two days.