In France: First yes to the repeal of the pension reform

The left won a first victory on Wednesday in its offensive to repeal the highly contested pension reform: its proposal to reduce the retirement age from 64 to 62 was adopted in the Social Affairs Committee. It must be studied by the National Assembly on November 28.

The text, presented by the LFI group (La France insoumise), was approved by 35 votes, those from the left to which were added those of the National Rally (RN, far right), against 16 votes from the ranks of the center and the right.

The reform adopted in 2023 under the government of Élisabeth Borne was “unjust democratically and socially, and economically ineffective”, argued the rapporteur (LFI) of the text, Ugo Bernalicis.

The RN, which had presented a similar proposal at the end of October, but which the left had not supported, voted for the LFI text. “It’s the same as ours, and we are not sectarian,” argued MP Thomas Ménage.

The bill approved on Wednesday affects not only the retirement age, but also the contribution period: this is reduced from 43 to 42 years, which also amounts to repealing the reform carried out in 2013 by the socialist minister Marisol Touraine, when François Hollande was president.

An amendment, presented by the centrists to preserve the Touraine reform, was rejected. The socialists, who would have preferred to keep this 2013 reform, decided to approve the overall text despite everything.

The left claims to be able to carry its repeal proposal through to the end: after examining the text in the Assembly next week, it has already planned to include it on the Senate agenda on 23 January, then in second reading in the National Assembly on February 6.

Representatives of the government coalition warned against a “not serious” or “irresponsible” text.

“We have to be honest with the French: if this pension reform is repealed, they will certainly be able to leave at 60, but with a much lower pension,” argued Macronist MP Stéphanie Rist.

Curious to find out who’s making the news The essentials? Join us on the number 1 business network in Luxembourg!