In brief
As French Prime Minister François Bayrou faces a precarious political landscape, he has indicated a willingness to revisit the contentious pension reform that raised the retirement age, in hopes of stabilizing his government and garnering support in Parliament.
Prime Minister François Bayrou, appointed just last month, announced on Tuesday his openness to amending the controversial pension law that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. This legislation, originally pushed by President Emmanuel Macron as a measure for fiscal stability, sparked widespread protests across the country. In his address to the National Assembly in Paris, Bayrou aimed to rally support among the fragmented political factions in the legislature amidst ongoing governmental challenges.Currently, there is no dominant majority in the National Assembly, leading to bipartisan conflicts over the new budget for 2025. A recent failure to reach an agreement resulted in a no-confidence vote that toppled the previous government led by former Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Bayrou's approach on re-evaluating the pension policy appears to be a strategic move to gain favor and buy more time for his administration, which is under constant threat of instability.
