The suspension postpones key pension measures, costing billions, and is part of ongoing political negotiations to manage social and financial pressures.

France's government has suspended its controversial 2023 pension reform, delaying the increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64 and revising pension contributions until 2028, as part of an austerity budget for 2025.

The suspension is temporarily financed through contributions from supplementary health insurers and retirees, prompting opposition criticism and calls for political parties to clarify their funding plans.

Prime Minister Lecornu described the parliamentary debate as a 'first round of testing' and expressed hope for quick political and social consensus to facilitate legislative progress.

This decision follows days of uncertainty and debates, with the suspension contingent on parliamentary approval, and is part of ongoing political negotiations.

Lecornu indicated that if consensus emerges among parliamentary committees, the National Assembly, the Senate, and social partners, the government might amend the supplementary budget to reach a compromise.

Debates on the Social Security budget are set to begin soon amid political tensions over the fairness and implications of the suspension and its funding.

The political debate continues, with unions and opposition parties demanding concrete measures, while the government navigates legislative procedures to implement or modify the suspension.

Lecornu dismissed recent rejection of the revenue part of the 2026 state budget as a negotiation step, emphasizing the need for new decision-making methods since Article 49.3 cannot be used for this legislation.

The supplementary budget, including the suspension, will be debated in Parliament, with Prime Minister Lecornu stressing it is a basis for discussion and potential amendments, not a final proposal.

The government plans to formalize the suspension in the 2026 Social Security Budget Law to prevent parliamentary delays from blocking the process.

Abrogation, or complete cancellation of the reform, is not currently pursued; the reform was passed through a 49.3 parliamentary procedure.

Historically, the previous government bypassed parliamentary debate to pass pension reforms in 2023, causing protests; Lecornu has pledged to ensure all future bills are properly debated.

Prime Minister Lecornu emphasized that the suspension must be 'compensated by savings,' raising concerns about how this will be achieved.