Retirement: Michel Barnier closes the door to a return of the retirement age to 62

During his general policy speech, Michel Barnier announced that he wanted to relaunch dialogue with the social partners on pension reform. But only certain themes can be addressed, a return of the legal age to 62 is already excluded.

No big upheaval. During his general policy speech, this Tuesday, October 1, the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, announced that he wanted to “resume dialogue” with the social partners. A discussion which will however be framed “with the imperative of preserving the sustainable balance of pay-as-you-go retirement”. The implication is clear. There is no question of going back on the two main measures which brought many French people into the streets: raising the legal age departure from 62 to 64 years old and accelerating the extension of the contribution period to obtain the full rate. According to government figures at the time the reform was presented, this measure should bring in nearly 10.3 billion euros by 2027 and 17.7 billion euros by 2030.

It is therefore difficult to do without these billions even though the tenant of Matignon has repeatedly emphasized his desire to reduce the country’s deficit. “Our real sword of Damocles is our colossal debt of 3,228 billion euros,” he recalled. If there is a resumption of dialogue with the social partners, it will therefore only be around precise measures of the 2023 reform. “Certain limits of the law passed on April 15, 2023 can be corrected”announced the Prime Minister. He cited: gradual retirement, professional wear and equality between women and men. Trusting social partners to think “reasonable and fair accommodation”.

Received in recent weeks at Matignon, the social partners have already made their demands on pension reform heard. Unsurprisingly, while employers have expressed their desire to maintain the legal age at 64, employee representatives once again reiterated their desire for a return to 62. It now remains to be seen whether, without discussion on the retirement age, the trade union organizations will agree to dialogue with the government on the other subjects of the reform.