Overview

• The Council on Retirement Policy urged raising the retirement age from 64 to 66 by 2045 to shore up France’s pension finances.
• Laurent Berger of the CFDT and Sophie Binet of the CGT called the plan "unacceptable" and warned of fresh strikes and mass demonstrations.
• France now spends a quarter of its public budget on pensions, and advisers project a €15bn shortfall by 2035 without further reform.
• François Bayrou’s minority government is stymied by strong opposition from both left-wing and National Rally parties demanding a rollback to age 62.
• Other European nations are also increasing retirement ages, with Germany targeting 67, Britain moving to 68 and Denmark planning to reach 70 by 2040.