French Prime Minister François Bayrou has ruled out a return to the retirement age of 62 for citizens, dismissing calls for a rollback of the controversial pension reform introduced in 2023 by French President Emmanuel Macron.
When pressed on the issue during a March 16 and the feasibility of a reinstatement of the 62 retirement age, Bayrou unequivocally said no.
He further argued that setting a universal retirement age was not the only way to approach pension reform, insisting that the current system must be adapted to financial realities.
“I don’t think that saying ‘this is the age for everyone’ is the only way forward,” he said on March 16.
“We are already in deficit when it comes to private pensions. We need to return to balance by 2030. And as far as public pensions are concerned, we need to get back to a better balance,” he added.
Pointing to global instability, particularly the war in Ukraine and an increasingly uncertain future for peace in Europe, Bayrou justified his decision to close the door on any return to retirement at 62.
His comments came at a time when the French Government has been planning a major military budget reform.
Former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, now serving as Education Minister, defended Bayrou on March 17.
Borne, who spearheaded the 2023 pension reform that raised the retirement age to 64, stated that maintaining financial stability was “more necessary today than ever before”.
Bayrou’s remarks have sparked criticism among unions and opposition parties, which have accused him of “betraying” prior commitments.
CGT Union Secretary General Sophie Binet slammed his statements as “a betrayal of the commitments made by the Prime Minister to Parliament and the unions, which were supposed to discuss pensions freely”.
Even the moderate CFDT union voiced frustration, warning that Bayrou’s position risked “torpedoing the discussion”.
CFDT negotiator Yvan Ricordeau accused Bayrou of contradicting himself twice — first by convening a pension reform conclave in February 2025 that was supposed to leave all options on the table and then by unilaterally shutting down the debate.
The Left was less restrained. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) party, criticised Bayrou’s justification for refusing to lower the retirement age, writing on social media: “The conclave [negotiation on pensions] is over. Bayrou says ‘no’ to repealing retirement at 64 … because of [US President Donald] Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Total bullsh*t”.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure on March 17 said on social media: “Defence cannot serve as a pretext for accelerating a policy of rights suppression. What we defend are not borders but a democratic, social, and ecological model.
“To renounce it is to give power to those who oppose it by providing the far right with the fuel it needs.”
By possibly undermining the talks, Bayrou risked jeopardising his political future, some said.
Left-wing MP François Ruffin said it could justify grounds to topple the government.
National Rally (RN) MP Sébastien Chenu, asked on March 17 on the BFMTV news station whether that could be grounds for toppling the government, said it would be “an element to be included in the debate” adding that pensions were “an important issue” for his party.
