Overview

• Government scenarios under discussion include freezing the legal retirement age at 62 years 9 months, stopping at 63, or retiming the climb to 64 without changing the endpoint.
• State estimates point to about €500 million in costs in 2026 and at least €3 billion in 2027 for a freeze at 62 years 9 months, while the Cour des comptes projects a full cost of €13 billion by 2035 if the age stops at 63.
• A freeze at 62 years 9 months would chiefly help the 1964 cohort starting in October 2026, with the CFDT citing roughly 600,000 beneficiaries across 2026–2027, whereas stopping at 63 would not show effects until 2028.
• Political lines are stark: the Socialist Party and CFDT urge suspension, LFI and the CGT call for abrogation, and LR, Horizons, Medef, and figures like Valérie Pécresse warn against any rollback on credibility and growth grounds.
• President Emmanuel Macron has not set a clear position after floating a possible delay to the age measure, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says all options are on the table if they remain realistic for the public finances.