Pension reform: the RN and the New Popular Front battle over the means to repeal the text

The examination of the Social Security budget began in the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. If both the National Rally and the New Popular Front are fighting to repeal the pension reform, they do not agree on how to do it.

The battle began around the repeal of the pension reform. The examination of the Social Security budget in committee gave rise to the first clashes on Monday, October 21, with deputies, notably from the National Rally (RN), rejecting several amendments from the left which aimed to mark a first step towards the repeal of the 2023 pension reform. The deputies of the New Popular Front (NFP) wanted to double the RN, and its proposal to repeal the pension reform which will be debated during its “parliamentary niche” on October 31. They therefore have tabled several amendments to the social security financing bill (PLFSS) for 2025, some of which were examined Monday evening in the Social Affairs Committee.

To remove the increase in the legal retirement age to 64, without widening the Social Security deficit, several deputies (socialists, ecologists, LFI and GDR) proposed creating a over-contribution on income located beyond a certain ceiling (for socialists, twice the “social security ceiling”, or around 7,400 euros per month). They also proposed a “pension financing conference” with the social partners, to find other revenues.

A reform deemed unfair

These amendments respond to “the majority aspiration of the country”, which wants to repeal this “unjust reform”, defended the socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj. The repeal of the reform “would worsen the deficit (of the old age branch) by nearly 3.4 billion euros from 2025, (…) and by 16 billion in 2032” according to Retirement Insurance, replied the general rapporteur Yannick Neuder (LR). “It is absolutely not possible today to move towards an increase in contributions, when we are already a fiscal hell”also reacted the deputy RN Thomas Ménage. “The moment when we can repeal the pension reform (…) is this Wednesday, in committee” then on October 31 with the text defended by the RN, launched the elected RN to the NFP deputies. “The ball is in your court”he said, calling on the left to show if it “brings (his) words into conformity” and his actions.

The commission also inflicted first setbacks on the government by deleting several articles from the PLFSS relating to financial balanceincluding the one which corrected the “hole” in Social Security to 18 billion for 2024, or the spending objective for Health Insurance. The left denounced “the logic of austerity” of the budget, the RN deploring its “insincerity”.

Reforming farmers’ retirement

The commission, on the other hand, adopted an article which reforms the calculation of farmers’ retirement contributions, to be able – via another article not yet examined – to calculate the pensions of non-agricultural employees over the 25 best years of income. It has also adopted other measures favorable to farmers, one of the articles completely exempting from contributions the hiring of seasonal agricultural workers up to 1.25 SMIC. Another amendment adopted plans to exempt from old-age contributions many retired doctors who return to work and “cumulate” employment and pension.