Visual: How does suspension of pension reform affect workers in France?

France’s 2023 pension reform bill is set to be suspended – at least until 2027 – Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Tuesday (October 14). 

Mr Lecornu announced plans during his general policy speech to MPs, alongside plans for the 2026 budget.

The concession appeased the Socialist Party, which has pressured several recent governments to abandon the changes.

In turn, the concession led to the Socialist Party agreeing to not back a vote of no confidence against Mr Lecornu’s new government – at least for the time being – and allowing debates on the 2026 budget to go ahead. 

However, it caused anger among several government allies, including the centrist Horizons group fronted by former prime minister Édouard Philippe.

One of the major aspects of the reform is raising the general retirement age from 62 to 64.

The graph below shows how the changes affect those close to retirement age. 

What changes to the reform? 

Not the reform has not been scrapped, but simply delayed.

The full effects of the increase in retirement age – and the number of quarters needed to work to receive a full pension – have been pushed back to 2033, and 2029 respectively. 

This is because Mr Lecornu has simply ‘suspended’ the reform in its current state. 

It will remain at current levels (a retirement age of 62 years and 9 months, and 170 quarters of work for a full pension) until 2027. 

This is the scheduled date for the next presidential election, with the idea that the ensuing steps for the reform (keeping it, expanding upon it, or abolishing it) will form a major point of each party’s manifesto and be up to the next president to dictate.