France has suspended its pension reform, a move criticized as a major economic renouncement. Editorials highlight that this decision, tied to the 2026 budget, sacrifices younger generations for short-term political calculations. Comparisons with Portugal, Italy, and Argentina spotlight bolder choices elsewhere.
The suspension of France's pension reform, announced recently, occurs amid tense budget discussions at the National Assembly. In an editorial by Gaëtan de Capèle in Le Figaro, published on October 27, 2025, this decision shows how France diverges from successful reforms in former troubled eurozone countries like Portugal and Italy. These nations achieved brilliant results through attractive taxation, public spending cuts, and reductions in civil servants – the exact opposite of France's path.
Foreign observers, de Capèle notes, watch incredulously as a once-prosperous country declines. National politics now boils down to « small shopkeeper calculations », favoring demagoguery over risks like dissolution or failure in 2027. In contrast, Argentina's eccentric Javier Milei secured an electoral victory despite harsh economic measures, proving political courage can pay off.
Other voices, like Édouard Tétreau's, call this suspension the « last nail in the coffin of our economy ». Thierry Breton, former European commissioner, sees it as another renouncement in French history, as detailed in his book Les Dix renoncements qui ont fait la France. Socialists, led by Olivier Faure, push for taxes on the rich, like the « Zucman tax », during the 2026 finance bill review.
These editorials highlight a critical consensus: the measure will impose new contributions on businesses, workers, and retirees, worsening debt and eroding investor confidence. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu thus yields to socialist deputies' whims to avert his government's fall, at the expense of collective interest.