General
French Prime Minister Signals He Will Revisit Retirement Law That Led to Mass Protests
His government on shaky ground, Prime Minister François Bayrou offered to reopen debate on the measure, which raised the retirement age in an effort to stabilize the country’s finances.
Prime Minister François Bayrou of France said on Tuesday that he was open to changing the country’s unpopular pension law, which raised the retirement age to 64 from 62, as he sought to build support in Parliament and keep his government afloat.
The 2023 law was championed by President Emmanuel Macron in the name of fiscal responsibility but led to mass street demonstrations.
Mr. Bayrou, a centrist and longtime ally of Mr. Macron who was appointed just last month, laid out his plan for discussing changes to the retirement law in a speech to the National Assembly, the fractious lower house of Parliament. He also presented, for the first time, his broader vision for governing the country.
There is no clear majority in the National Assembly, and its three general factions — left, center and far right — have been unable, in the past few months, to agree on a 2025 budget.
This lack of agreement last month led to a no-confidence vote and the fall of the government led by Mr. Bayrou’s predecessor, former Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Mr. Bayrou’s new government also finds itself in a precarious situation, and could fall any day. The move on Tuesday appeared to be an effort to at least buy some time.
