Laura Gozzi and
Paul KirbyEurope digital editor
Bloomberg by way of Getty PicturesFrench Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed parliament he backs suspending controversial 2023 pension reforms, within the face of essential votes of no-confidence later this week.
The modifications, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, have been seen as signature reforms in Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.
“This autumn I’ll suggest to parliament that we droop the 2023 pension reform till the [2027] presidential election,” Lecornu mentioned to applause from left-wing events.
Lecornu was reappointed prime minister final week solely 4 days after he resigned, and wishes the help of Socialist MPs in parliament if his authorities is to outlive.
Opposition events on the far proper and much left have referred to as confidence votes, generally known as “censure” votes on Lecornu’s authorities, for Thursday morning and are demanding parliamentary elections.
The Socialists mentioned they’d be ready to help the brand new authorities, however provided that it guarantees an entire suspension of Macron’s pension modifications.
“If he doesn’t explicitly say the phrases ‘quick and full suspension of the pension reform’, it will likely be censure,” Socialist MP Laurent Baumel mentioned earlier on French TV.
“He’s holding his future in his personal palms. He is aware of what he has do if he does not need to be the prime minister who resigns each week.”
The reforms have been lastly pushed by parliament in March 2023, lower than a 12 months after Macron was voted in for a second presidential time period.
There had been months of political debate, strikes and avenue protests, and ultimately the invoice needed to undergo with out a vote in parliament utilizing a constitutional mechanism generally known as 49:3.
Final week, Lecornu mentioned it was one thing many French individuals remembered as a “wound on democracy” .
On Tuesday he made it plain to MPs that suspending the pension reform would value €400m (£350m) in 2026 and an additional €1.8bn (£1.57bn) in 2027. This should be “compensated by different financial savings,” Lecornu mentioned.
Lecornu is France’s third prime minister previously 12 months however even when he does survive he must get a finances by parliament that brings down a finances deficit heading for five.4% of financial output (GDP) this 12 months.
France’s public debt earlier this 12 months stood at €3.4tn, or nearly 114% of GDP, the third highest within the eurozone after Greece and Italy.
Lecornu has been one among Macron’s most loyal allies, so his choice to row again on such a contested reform reveals how eager the president is to keep away from additional turmoil.
Philippe Aghion, who was collectively awarded the 2025 Nobel economics prize on Monday, mentioned earlier that he additionally backed a suspension of the pension reform, as a result of it could nonetheless come at a smaller value than the instability that might observe one other authorities collapse.
“We’re residing by an period of disaster,” Lecornu instructed MPs. “Some individuals need the scenario to show right into a regime disaster, however that will not occur.”
Promising a “critical and dependable finances”, the prime minister additionally vowed to convey an finish to reliance on the 49:3 mechanism to push by authorized modifications with out a vote. Since late 2022, each finances has needed to be compelled by with out a vote.
Repeatedly, he instructed the chamber that “the federal government will suggest, we’ll debate and you’ll vote”.
Parliament can have “the ultimate phrase”, he mentioned.
To audible groans from MPs, Lecornu proposed a working group to look into pensions, and mentioned it must decide by the point of the following presidential election.
France’s finances deficit is much above the EU goal of three% of GDP, and Lecornu mentioned that reversing the pension reform must be “financially compensated, together with by cost-saving measures. It can’t be carried out on the expense of an elevated deficit”.
Marine Le Pen’s hard-right Nationwide Rally (RN) and the radical-left France Unbowed (LFI) of Jean-Luc Mélenchon have each tabled confidence votes in Lecornu’s authorities on Thursday, however would wish the help of centre-left events to convey him down.
The RN’s Sébastien Chenu confirmed his social gathering would vote in opposition to Lecornu later this week. “We aren’t fooled by something and can’t be purchased,” he mentioned. “Howdy and goodbye, Mr Prime Minister.”
Mathilde Panot of France Unbowed additionally railed in opposition to Lecornu and Macron. “No person believes in you any longer,” she mentioned.
However a triumphant Boris Vallaud of the Socialists mentioned the prime minister’s choice on the pension reform was a “victory”.
“The French have been ready on your assertion and we have been ready for an indication that you simply’d heard them… The suspension of the pension reform: right here it’s finally.”
The help of the centrist bloc and the Socialists ought to give Lecornu sufficient votes to move his finances in parliament – however the numbers stay extraordinarily tight, and any breaking of the ranks might end in him being toppled.
Le Pen and Mélenchon imagine elections are the one method of ending the political impasse that got here out of snap elections referred to as by Macron in the summertime of 2024.
That impasse turned to turmoil final week when Lecornu resigned as prime minister 26 days after Macron had appointed him, and solely hours after he had named his authorities.
In per week of political twists and drama, Macron then reappointed him late on Friday.
The transfer was extensively seen as a last-ditch try by the president to train management over an more and more rudderless Nationwide Meeting, which has been splintered into three distinct factions for the reason that 2024 vote.
That hung parliament has resulted in two short-lived prime ministers who have been voted down inside months after they tried to place ahead their yearly budgets.
Eight days in the past, Lecornu stood down earlier than he might even face MPs.
