Barthelemy Philippe
The pension reform provoked a strong reaction from the unions and the opposition. If the government has retracted for a forced passage of the measure, the executive remains determined to pass the pension reform that it considers necessary to boost the French economy.
Faced with the thorny issue of pension reform, Emmanuel Macron agreed to temporize by launching a new phase of consultation with the unions and the opposition. The pension reform plans to raise the legal retirement age to 64 or 65 years.
After weeks of reflection, the president ruled out all the alternatives, such as the possibility of extending the contribution period beyond 43 years, even if it meant turning public opinion upside down. He returns to his campaign promise, that of a gradual postponement of the retirement age by 4 months per year, culminating in 65 years of age in 2031. This measure is considered essential by the executive to rebalance the financing of the pension system.
Boosting the French economy
According to the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, this reform will also boost the French economy. “In total, the reform brings in 4 to 5 billion euros more from a budgetary point of view. But the most important thing is that it increases the overall volume of work for the country. According to our assessment, by the end of 2027 , this represents one more point of national wealth for the country, which represents 240,000 additional jobs for France. This means that the pension reform is a guarantee of prosperity and full employment for the country. That is why it is also important” he detailed on Europe 1.
If the government remains inflexible on its desire to postpone the retirement age, several additional subjects are on the menu of future consultations such as taking into account long careers and the arduous nature of the work or even the future of the special schemes of retirement.