French prime minister suspends pension reform in bid for budget backing

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu looks set to survive in the role long enough to attempt to pass the 2026 budget, after the Socialist Party agreed it would not table a vote of no confidence against him. 

On a hectic day for the newly-reappointed prime minister, Mr Lecornu gave a general policy speech (politique générale) in front of MPs outlining the aims of his tenureship, as well as bringing the 2026 budget to MPs and the wider public.

Largely focused on ensuring a 2026 budget is passed, in his policy speech the prime minister also promised to suspend the controversial 2023 pension reform until after the next presidential elections, which are due in 2027. 

The reform plans to increase the standard retirement age from 62 to 64.

“No increase will take place from now until January 2028, as the CFDT [France’s largest union] had specifically requested. In addition, [changes to paying-in period calculations] will be suspended and will remain at 170 quarters until January 2028,” said Mr Lecornu.

It will cost an estimated €2.2 billion. 

The proposals will be brought forward to a meeting of ‘social partners’ focusing on pensions – unions, parties, etc – which will agree on a bill to be tabled and brought to a vote in parliament.

These concessions were enough for Socialist MPs to ensure that they would not table a vote against the prime minister.

Despite causing anger among other parliamentary groups, including centrist MPs in the government coalition who are part of Edouard Philippe’s ‘Horizons’ party, the move appears to have brought the government enough breathing space for debate on the budget to begin in parliament. 

Mr Lecornu will face two votes of no confidence on Thursday morning – one from the far-left La France Insoumise, one from the far-right Rassemblement National. 

However, these now seem certain to fail as without the Socialists it is not possible for either motion to achieve the 289 MPs (a majority of the chamber) required to oust the government. 

A snap poll by media outlet BFMTV showed that 56% of the public polled oppose the motions.

PM encourages budget debate

Removing the threat of immediate ousting gives Mr Lecornu the opportunity to dedicate the coming months to discussions over the 2026 budget.

The prime minister reiterated his commitment to not use the controversial article 49.3 – this allows financial bills to be passed through the chamber without a vote, at the risk of a motion of no confidence being immediately tabled – during his tenureship. 

“The government will propose, you will vote,” he told MPs yesterday. "It is a guarantee for the Assemblée nationale that the debate, particularly on the budget, will live on, and will go all the way to the vote.

“Parliament will have the final word, we must trust it, we must not be afraid of it. It is up to you to seize this power, which is an opportunity. Representative democracy is not dead,” he added. 

In practice, this means the budget will be open to significant changes from parties across the chamber, who must play an extended game of Realpolitik among themselves to bring a budget that is accepted by the majority of MPs and passed before the end of the year.

Following the official withdrawal of the right-wing Les Républicains from the government coalition – despite six party members being appointed to Mr Lecornu’s new cabinet – the government’s minority has been considerably reduced, and will require the support of several other parties to pass a budget.