French politics is in turmoil—Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is ready to hit pause on Emmanuel Macron's divisive pension changes, all to dodge a potential government collapse and keep power in check!
Just 21 minutes ago, this bombshell unfolded in the French parliament, where Lecornu declared his support for suspending the contentious 2023 pension reforms amid looming no-confidence votes set for later this week. These reforms, a hallmark of Macron's presidency, bumped up the retirement age from 62 to 64, sparking nationwide outrage. Imagine working longer before enjoying your golden years—that's what French citizens faced, and it ignited massive protests and strikes.
Standing before lawmakers, Lecornu announced, "This autumn, I'll suggest to parliament that we halt the 2023 pension reform until the [2027] presidential election," drawing cheers from the left-wing benches. This move comes hot on the heels of his reappointment as prime minister last week, just four days after his resignation. To survive, his administration now relies heavily on backing from Socialist MPs in parliament.
Opposition forces from the far-right and far-left aren't holding back—they've scheduled confidence votes, called "censure" motions, for Thursday morning, pushing for immediate parliamentary elections. The Socialists, key players here, have made it crystal clear: they'll only prop up the new government if Lecornu pledges a full freeze on Macron's pension tweaks.
As Socialist MP Laurent Baumel bluntly put it on French TV earlier, "If he doesn't spell out the words 'immediate and complete suspension of the pension reform,' it's censure." Baumel added a sharp warning: "He's got his fate in his hands. He knows what to do if he wants to avoid being the prime minister who quits every week."
These reforms squeaked through parliament in March 2023, barely a year into Macron's second term. Months of heated debates, nationwide strikes, and street demonstrations led to the bill passing without a vote via a special constitutional tool known as 49:3. Last week, Lecornu himself labeled this as a "wound on democracy" that many French people still feel deeply. On Tuesday, he laid out the financial hit to MPs: suspending the reform would cost €400 million (£350 million) in 2026 and another €1.8 billion (£1.57 billion) in 2027. "These expenses will need to be offset by other savings," Lecornu explained, emphasizing fiscal responsibility.
Lecornu marks France's third prime minister in the last year, and even if he weathers this storm, he still must navigate passing a budget that tackles a deficit projected at 5.4% of GDP this year. For context, France's public debt hit €3.4 trillion, or nearly 114% of GDP, earlier this year—ranking it third highest in the eurozone, right behind Greece and Italy. This debt level means the government has to be extra cautious with spending, like balancing a household budget when you're already in the red.
As one of Macron's staunchest allies, Lecornu's willingness to backtrack on this fiercely debated policy reveals the president's desperation to sidestep more chaos. Nobel economics laureate Philippe Aghion, who shared the 2025 prize on Monday, echoed this view, advocating for the suspension because the price of reform is less than the turmoil of another government meltdown.
But here's where it gets controversial—Lecornu is vowing to steer clear of that divisive 49:3 mechanism, promising a return to proper debate and voting on laws. He told MPs, "We're in a crisis era. Some are pushing for a regime meltdown, but that won't fly." Committing to a "solid and dependable budget," he pledged to ditch the no-vote shortcut, which has been used since late 2022 to ram through every budget without parliamentary approval. "The government will propose, we'll discuss, and you'll decide," he repeated, assuring parliament of "the final say."
Amid groans from lawmakers, Lecornu floated the idea of a special working group on pensions, with a deadline tied to the next presidential election. He stressed that undoing the pension changes must be "financially offset, perhaps through savings measures, without inflating the deficit." France's budget shortfall exceeds the EU's 3% GDP target, so every euro counts.
Far-right National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen and radical-left France Unbowed (LFI) under Jean-Luc Mélenchon have both initiated no-confidence votes for Thursday, though they'd need centrist support to succeed. RN's Sébastien Chenu dismissed Lecornu, saying, "We're not duped or for sale. Farewell, Prime Minister." LFI's Mathilde Panot blasted him and Macron: "No one trusts you anymore."
Yet, Socialist leader Boris Vallaud hailed it as a win: "The French have been craving this announcement, a signal that you've listened. The pension reform suspension—it's finally here."
With centrist and Socialist votes, Lecornu should have enough to pass his budget, but the margin is razor-thin—one defection could topple him. Le Pen and Mélenchon argue elections are the only fix for the stalemate born from Macron's snap polls in summer 2024.
This gridlock escalated last week when Lecornu resigned just 26 days after his appointment, hours after naming his cabinet. In a whirlwind week, Macron reappointed him Friday, seen as a frantic bid to regain control over a fragmented National Assembly—split into three blocs post-2024 elections. This hung parliament has already ousted two short-term premiers over budget battles.
Eight days ago, Lecornu stepped down before even facing MPs. Now, as he fights for stability, the question lingers: Is this suspension a genuine compromise or just political theater? What do you think—should Macron's reforms be scrapped entirely, or is this freeze a smart detour? And does relying on such mechanisms undermine democracy, as Lecornu himself admitted? Share your thoughts in the comments; do you agree with the Socialists' demands, or side with the opposition's call for elections? Let's discuss!
