Political move secured crucial support from socialists
French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, faces two motions of censure in parliament this Thursday, but is expected to remain in office after promising to suspend the controversial pension reform, one of President Emmanuel Macron’s flagships.
Lecornu’s decision was interpreted as an attempt to seduce the left and guarantee its political survival. The move seems to have worked: the socialists, a key player in the parliamentary chess, confirmed that they will not vote in favor of the motions, presented by the extreme left and the extreme right.
Even so, the outcome remains uncertain. Several rebel deputies from the Socialists and Republicans (conservative right) could tip the balance. To remove Lecornu, 289 votes are needed; So far, 265 parliamentarians have announced support for the motions, according to BFM TV. The government could survive by a minimum margin of ten votes.
“If I were a deputy, I would vote in favor of the motion. The government presents us with a socialist budget, and I am not a socialist. Our voters expect us to have values”, said Florence Portelli, vice-president of the Republicans.
The suspension of the reform represents a heavy political blow for Macron, who saw it as one of the main legacies of his mandate. The project gradually increased the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years old by 2030, bringing France closer to the rest of the European Union countries.
However, tinkering with pensions has been “political kryptonitis” for successive governments. Since François Mitterrand lowered the retirement age to 60 in 1982, any attempt to reverse it has provoked protests and instability.
Currently, the average effective retirement age in France is 60.7 years, well below the OECD average (64.4).
Political crisis and budgetary uncertainty
Even if he survives, Lecornu faces weeks of tense negotiations to approve the 2026 budget, during which he could once again be the target of motions of censure.
The Socialists, encouraged by the prime minister’s concession, are already demanding the introduction of a tax on the richest in the new budget, a clear sign of the executive’s fragility.
If Lecornu is defeated, he and his government will have to immediately resign, which would put pressure on Macron to call early legislative elections, a scenario that many analysts consider highly destabilizing.
Lecornu promised to present an amendment to the social security financing law in November to formalize the suspension of pension reform.
However, several left-wing deputies warn that the prime minister may be preparing a political trap. The move, they say, could force them to accept other budgetary provisions with which they disagree.
“They were deceived!” criticized the deputy from the hard left wing, Manuel Bompard, in statements to TF1.
