Michel Barnier, the defender of retirement… at 65 years old

Upon arriving at Matignon, the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, will find a pile of files waiting on his desk. While the repeal of the pension reform should not be a priority, he could, on the contrary, be tempted to go further on the postponement of the legal retirement age.

Cold shower for those who hoped to see the legal retirement age go back down to 62. The new tenant of Matignon, Michel Barnier, will surely not defend the repeal of the pension reform. Coming from the ranks of the right, the unsuccessful candidate for the investiture of the Republicans (LR) for the 2022 presidential election had included in his program the postponement of the legal retirement age is 65. Either one more year that the new terminal put in place since the 2023 pension reform. A measure that he considered essential to restore balance to a deficit system. He had calculated the gains from such a measure at 30 billion euros when it has reached its full effect.

The new Prime Minister has, throughout his long political career, always set as a priority the balance of the pension plan arguing that it was necessary to take measures “brave” to reduce the deficit, even if they are unpopular. “I think the French are more intelligent than some politicians think. If we explain to them clearly the meaning of the efforts we are asking of them, if we tell them clearly that these efforts will be fair, I think the French will understand what is in their interest.”said the man who held the post of European Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services, speaking to Classic Radio in March 2016.

A flawless line of conduct which, unsurprisingly, worries the New Popular Front, a left-wing coalition in favour of the repeal of pension reform. “By appointing Michel Barnier, he (Emmanuel Macron, Editor’s note) is only seeking to protect the privileged, his pension reform and his power”, tweeted the member of parliament for the environmental and social group, Clémentine Autain. She has already stated that she will vote for the censure of this government in the National Assembly.