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Macron: No pension reform in France before elections

In his address to the nation, Emmanuel Macron announced that there would be no pension reform before the end of his current presidential term, effectively abandoning one of his flagship policies, for now at least.

Published: 9 November 2021 21:15 CET

Three pensioners lead a protest against pension reform in Toulouse, France, 2020.

People take part in a demonstration against proposed pension reform in Toulouse. Macron has dropped the proposals - for now (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

Pension reform has long been an objective of Macron’s presidency. The aim was to merge France’s dozens of separate pension systems into one simplified system.

Attempts to push the reform through have been met with significant resistance, with late 2019 and 2020 seeing the longest-running transport strikes since 1995.

In his address to the nation on Tuesday evening, Macron took pension reform off the table – at least until after April’s presidential election.

“The health situation that we are living through is getting worse everywhere in Europe,” he said.

“The unanimous wish expressed by trade union and professional organisations to concentrate efforts on unity at the moment that we are living as a nation means that the conditions are not there to start work on this [pension reform] again.”

The President said he would still like to see public and private pensions harmonised in the future but that this would be subject to democratic debate in 2022.

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French PM says new government names will be revealed 'before Sunday'

Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s office said on Thursday that he would “go to the Elysée to propose to the president a government that is ready to serve France”.

After a meeting earlier on Thursday afternoon with the heads of political parties, Barner then travelled to the Elysée Palace on Thursday evening to meet president Emmanuel Macron.

Their meeting lasted for just under an hour and at the end journalists saw Macron showing Barnier out saying Merci beaucoup, à demain (thanks very much, see you tomorrow).

After the meeting, Barnier’s office said he had had a “constructive exchange” with the president and that the full list of names of the new ministers will be made public “before Sunday, after the usual checks have been made”.

French media reported that the full list of 38 names, of which 16 will be full minsters, includes seven ministers from Macron’s centrist group, two from fellow centrists MoDem and three from Barnier’s own party, the right-wing Les Républicains.

Listen to John Lichfield discussing the challenges that Barnier faces in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast – download here or listen on the link below

Barnier’s statement said that “after two weeks of intensive consultations with the different political groups” he has found the architecture of his new government, adding that his priorities would be to;

Improve the standard of living for the French and the workings of public services, especially schools and healthcare
Guarantee security, control immigration and improve integration
Encourage businesses and agriculture and build upon the economic attractiveness of France
Get public finances under control and reduce debt

France has been in a state of limbo ever since parliamentary elections in July produced a deadlock with no group coming close to winning enough seats for a majority.

A caretaker government remained in place over the summer while president Emmanuel Macron declared an ‘Olympics truce’.

He finally appointed the right-wing former minister and ex-Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on September 5th.

Barnier has spent the last two weeks in intense negotiations in his attempt to form a government that won’t immediately be brought down through a motion of no-confidence in parliament.

Numerous left-wing politicians are reported to have refused to serve in his government while several high-profile Macronists have also ruled themselves out, including long-serving finance minister Bruno Le Maire who last week announced that he was quitting politics.

The reported make up of the new government does not reflect the election result – in which the leftist Nouveau Front Populaire coalition came first, followed by Macron’s centrists with the far-right Rassemblement National in third – but Barnier’s hope is that enough MPs will support it to avoid an immediate motion de censure (vote of no confidence).

The government’s first task will be to prepare the 2025 budget, which is already a week late. France’s soaring budget deficit and threat of a downgrade from ratings agencies mean that it will be a tricky task with Barnier, who has prepared the ground for tax hikes by warning that the situation is ‘very serious’.

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