The political crisis of Emmanuel Macron’s government seems to have no end. The French president’s most recent setback involves Parliament’s freezing of pension reform, one of his main projects this term.
The measure was blocked by a majority of 255 against 146 parliamentarians this Wednesday (12). The suspension reflects insecurity regarding Macron’s governance and the National Assembly’s resistance to approving a new budget for the country – the issue led to the president’s ouster of two prime ministers in a short period of time.
Currently, France is one of the most indebted countries in Europe, with an annual deficit of almost 170 billion euros, equivalent to 5.6% of its GDP.
The pension project, which had already been gradually adopted since 2023 unilaterally by the Élysée Palace (headquarters of the Presidency) amidst strong protests, provided that the minimum retirement age would increase from 62 to 64 years. The reform freeze, however, will maintain the minimum age at 62 years and nine months until the end of 2027, when new presidential elections take place.
The measure was demanded by the French Socialist Party to support Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu, who resigned 26 days after taking office. Macron’s Renaissance Party abstained from voting against freezing the reform, also to maintain the government’s survival and prevent the escalation of the political crisis.
