France Macron's controversial pension reform comes under scrutiny
French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which was pushed through against massive opposition, will be put to the test. The social partners have been given three months to work out a more socially just version of the pension reform without additional costs, said France's new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in a government statement.
14.01.2025, 16:27
SDA
The increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 could also be addressed. If no agreement can be reached on an alternative, the 2023 pension reform will remain in force, said the Prime Minister.
The pension reform, which was pushed through parliament in spring 2023 without a vote, had led to months of mass protests in France. The key project of Macron's second term in office was justified by a hole in the pension fund.
By offering to revise the pension reform, the prime minister is approaching the Socialists, with whose help he wants to secure his political survival and that of the government. The latter does not have an absolute majority in the National Assembly and the left-wing party has already announced a vote of no confidence following the government statement. In the event of concessions on pensions, the Socialists had signaled that they would not support the vote of no confidence.
