The controversial pension reform led to months of mass protests in France. Now Prime Minister Lecornu is halting the reform for the time being – thereby taking a step closer to the opposition. A way out of the political crisis?

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is suspending President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform. As he announced in his government statement, the increase in the retirement age to 64 will be put on hold until January 2028."This suspension is intended to create the necessary confidence to develop new solutions," Lecornu told members of the National Assembly in Paris.

Lecornu called for a renewed debate on pension system reform. The system must remain balanced in the long term and must not increase France's already high government deficit."The cost of the pension system amounts to €400 million in 2026 and €1.8 billion in 2027. This suspension will ultimately benefit 3.5 million French people." It must be financially offset, including through austerity measures.

Will Lecornu survive a vote of no confidence?

The announcement increases the prime minister's chances of surviving a vote of no confidence, which is scheduled to be voted on in parliament on Thursday. France's Left Party and the National Right had already submitted two motions of no confidence before the government's statement, announcing their intention to bring down the government no matter what. The right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) had also announced that it would also vote for the Left Party's motion.

Meanwhile, the Socialists had made their tolerance of the new government dependent on Lecornu's support for a suspension of the controversial pension reform. The Socialists announced this in a statement 40 minutes before Lecornu's speech began.

Macron's reform led to mass protests

The pension reform, passed in spring 2023 without a vote by parliament, led to months of mass protests in France. The key project of Macron's second term was justified by a gap in the pension system. The reform gradually increases the earliest possible retirement age from 62 to 64. The retirement age has now risen to 62 years and nine months. However, those who hadn't paid in long enough already had to work longer to qualify for a full pension.

Lecornu submitted his resignation last week, but was reappointed by Macron as head of government. His new government is the fourth since last year's parliamentary elections. The election failed to produce a clear majority in the National Assembly. Rassemblement National is calling for early parliamentary elections, while the left-wing party La France Insoumise demands Macron's resignation, even though he is now facing criticism within his own ranks.