Making France work until 65: PM to unveil controversial new pension reform

euronews.com:

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday will unveil the details of a hugely controversial pension reform project to raise the retirement age to 65.

The plan has already angered a large majority of voters and will be a key test of French President Emmanuel Macron's ability to implement change.

Speaking ahead of crunch talks with unions that have fiercely resisted any change, Borne told FranceInfo radio that the age of 65 is "not set in stone".

She added that "other solutions" could help the government reach its target of balancing the pensions system by 2030.

The overhaul would be one of the most extensive in a series of pension reforms enacted by successive governments on both the left and right in recent decades aiming to end budget shortfalls.

What is clear is that the French will have to work longer than they do now.

The most likely outcome would see the retirement age raised to 64 from 62 currently. Macron initially banked on 65, but giving up one year will make it easier to get the reform adopted in parliament.

But for the unions, who have all rejected increasing the retirement age, 64 or 65 doesn't matter much.

Any change in the pension age would be "a red line", said Laurent Berger, head of the moderate CFDT union.

Age target

Borne is hoping for parliamentary support from the conservative Les Republicains party, which is broadly in favour of pension reform and could vote with the government.

How its lawmakers vote will make or break the reform in parliament, where Macron lost his outright majority last year.

LR's new chief Eric Ciotti said he would back the reform if his conditions are met, including increasing the retirement age to 64 rather than 65 and bumping up the minimum pension for all, rather than only for