Overview

• Unions and left‑wing groups staged a nationwide day of action and strikes on October 2 to defend the system during its 80th‑anniversary week.
• The Cour des comptes has flagged a liquidity risk as social debt nears €300 billion and the trajectory of social accounts is described as out of control.
• Financing has shifted away from payroll contributions toward taxes such as CSG and VAT, with cotisations down from 82% of base revenues in 1993 to about 49% today.
• Analyses highlight structural demographic pressure and growing intergenerational inequities, with fewer workers supporting more retirees and lower expected returns for younger cohorts.
• Public attachment remains strong, with surveys showing roughly 88% support, while scholars and activists urge a return to the founding ambition outlined in 1945.