French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said he supports freezing the controversial pension reform until the next presidential election, slated for 2027.
The legislation, passed in 2023 during President Emmanuel Macron’s second term, raises the retirement age from 62 to 64.
“This autumn I will propose to parliament that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until the [2027] presidential election,” he told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Lecornu, who initially resigned before being reappointed as prime minister, faces a confidence vote this week and will need the backing of left-wing parties to survive.
Opposition parties, particularly on the right and far right, have called for votes of no confidence to bring down the young government, while the Socialist party has demanded a full suspension of the pension reform in exchange for its support.
The pension reform was pushed through in 2023 using Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which allows legislation to pass without a parliamentary vote.
