On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, the French National Assembly will consider a government amendment to suspend the 2023 pension reform, which raises the legal retirement age to 64, until the 2027 presidential election. This measure, included in the 2026 Social Security financing bill, marks a concession to the left to secure the budget. However, La France Insoumise opposes the suspension, demanding full repeal.
The pension reform, passed in 2023 under Élisabeth Borne using Article 49.3 despite widespread protests, provided for a gradual increase in the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. On Wednesday, November 12, the National Assembly will vote on the government's amendment (Article 45 bis) to suspend it until the 2027 presidential election, as part of the review of the "expenses" section of the 2026 Social Security financing bill (PLFSS).
Sébastien Lecornu's government deposited this amendment in fulfillment of a commitment to the Socialist Party (PS), which sees it as a victory following intense negotiations. The PS anticipates a favorable vote to claim it forced the executive's hand on this flagship issue. Recently, the Prime Minister expanded the suspension to long careers, as demanded by the left, by submitting a rectifying letter to the Conseil d'État.
However, La France Insoumise (LFI) deputies will vote against it, denouncing a "scam" and rejecting any compromise with the centrist bloc. Loyal to the 2024 Nouveau Front Populaire program, they demand full repeal to avoid any "deal-making" with Macronists. Jean-Luc Mélenchon had insisted on implementing the full program.
Pierre Moscovici, first president of the Cour des comptes, warns of the financial repercussions. The suspension will cost 1.4 billion euros in 2026, worsening a structural deficit already at 6.6 billion. Without the reform, which was to yield 10 billion, the deficit would reach 15 billion in 2035 and 32 billion in 2045. He urges reopening the debate in 2027 to safeguard the pay-as-you-go system.
This symbolic vote, with no immediate legal effect, signals the reform's future, initially reopened by François Bayrou in December 2024. It fits a tight timeline: the Assembly must adopt the PLFSS by December 12 for promulgation by December 31, avoiding the 2024 budget crisis without resorting to 49.3.
