Overview
- Lawmakers approved an amendment by 255 to 146, with 104 abstentions, to delay the 2023 reform until January 2028.
- The suspension is embedded in the 2026 social security budget and still requires Senate backing and a final vote on the full bill.
- The freeze keeps the minimum retirement age at 62 years and nine months rather than progressing toward 64 under the 2023 law.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu offered the pause to secure Socialist support, while Macron’s party opted to abstain as far-left and far-right parties push for elections.
- Officials estimate added costs of roughly €300 million in 2026 and €1.9 billion in 2027, prompting concerns about compliance with EU fiscal rules given a 2024 deficit near 5.8% of GDP.