François Bayrou, the French Prime Minister, has stated that he opposes bringing the legal retirement age back to 62. In an interview with France Inter on Sunday, Bayrou was asked if he would consider returning the retirement age to the level it was before President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pensions reform. “No.
I don’t think that debating on the age is the only way forward,” Bayrou responded. The reform, passed in 2023, raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 to make France’s pensions system economically sustainable. Earlier this year, Bayrou promised to review the reform and did not rule out changing the retirement age in a bid to convince left-wing lawmakers not to bring down his government.
Bayrou stands by pension reform
“It is my conviction that we can seek a new reform path, without totems or taboos, even on the age of retirement,” he said in January. Bayrou’s opponents quickly attacked him on Sunday for what they see as a change in position.
MP Mathilde Panot, who chairs the parliamentary group of the radical-left France Unbowed party, commented, “Bayrou has just lied and betrayed his commitment on pensions. Exactly as we predicted.”
In February, Bayrou launched a “conclave” – a weekly meeting where representatives of trade unions and business groups discuss with the government how to improve the pensions system. Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin also rejected pleas from the left and unions to bring the retirement age back down to 62, saying it is “just not realistic” on Monday, March 17.
The government has indicated in recent days that it would not budge on the reform’s flagship measure.
Image Credits: Photo by Huy Phan on Unsplash
