(Reuters) -French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday proposed suspending President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark pension reform that raised the legal retirement age by two years to 64, as he sought cross-party support for his 2026 budget.
Here are the main statements from Lecornu’s speech, as well as reactions from the opposition:
SEBASTIEN LECORNU, PRIME MINISTER
“Which members of parliament will tell their fellow citizens that they do not want to discuss the state budget? Isn’t that the very heart of the parliamentary function. There is no longer any excuse for voting for a no-confidence motion by default.”
“This fall, I will propose to parliament that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until after the presidential election. There will be no increase in the retirement age between now and January 2028.
“In addition, the required number of quarters necessary for a full pension will also be suspended and will remain at 170 quarters.”
“But …I will not endorse just anything. The cost of the suspension for our pension system is 4 billion euros in 2026 and 1.8 billion euros in 2027. This suspension will ultimately benefit 3.5 million French people. It will therefore have to be financially compensated for, including through cost-saving measures.”
“Suspending the reform only makes sense if it is to go further. In the coming weeks, I propose to organize a conference on pensions and work in agreement with the social partners.”
LAURENT WAUQUIEZ, LEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
“We will not censure a government by default and we will not be among those who bring down prime ministers. This position of the deputies of the Republican Right has not changed. France needs a minimum of stability. France needs a government. France needs a budget.”
“We need to make a minimal effort which consists of finding compromises rather than fighting, it is better to engage talks rather than betting on yet another election by default.”
FAR-LEFT LEADER JEAN-LUC MELENCHON
“And now everyone will pretend not to have heard that the suspension of the reform has a set time limit. Then it resumes its course. So only the generation of 1964 gains three months. They would gain 9 months with the repeal as already voted by the Assembly. Moreover, the power elected in 2027 could make up for the “delay” or any other worse reform… A word to the wise is enough.”
JORDAN BARDELLA, LEADER OF THE FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL RALLY
“In the National Assembly, from the Republicans to the Socialist Party, it’s the friendly circle of Emmanuel Macron’s saviours who take turns speaking at the podium. The only common denominator of this nonsensical majority, ready for any kind of bargaining, is fear of the ballot box and fear of the people.”
PAUL CHRISTOPHE, LEADER OF THE HORIZONS GROUP IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
“We know that it is possible and desirable to reduce public spending, and that it is first and foremost up to the State to set an example. With this in mind, the budget path presented by the government is a step in the right direction by proposing substantial savings.”
“Horizon is ready to discuss a compromise on possible improvements to pension reform (…) but suspending pension reform in order to hand the Socialist Group a political victory that is as symbolic as it is ephemeral is dangerously easy.”
BORIS VALLAUD, LEADER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
“We are abandoning the use of the 49-3, but we are still in opposition to you and in control of sanctioning the government throughout the budget debate.”
“What you have proposed in this budget, I say to you bluntly, clearly, and with just the right amount of anger. It is intolerable and seriously inadequate. (…) Your copy can be amended, you can count on us to amend it and everyone will have to answer to the French people for the choices they make.”
(Reporting by Alban Kacher and Geert De Clercq; Editing by Richard Lough)
