FRANCE: PM Launches Discussion On Pension Reforms, Report Due By 19 Feb

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has launched consultations with parties and groups from across the political spectrum to discuss potential changes to the 2023 pension reforms. Bayrou has told the groups participating in talks that the Court of Auditors, responsible for assessing the financing of pensions, has informed him that it will be submitting its conclusions on 19 February, therefore setting a deadline for the negotiations on possible changes to the reforms.

• A number of major trade unions participating in the talks have said their demands will include a lowering of the pension age back to 62 from the current plan of an increase to 64. Sophie Binet of the Communist Party-linked CGT said the talks were "an opportunity to note the extent of the disagreements", although Bayrou sought to put more of a positive gloss on the initial discussions, calling it a “very encouraging meeting”.
• The talks come a day after the minority Bayrou gov't comfortably survived a censure motion in the National Assembly. The motion, put forward by the far-left populist La France Insoumise required 288 votes to pass, but in the event only recieved 131 in favour as the centre-left Socialist Party (PS) for the first time since the 2024 election did not side with their erstwhile allies in the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance.
• It remains to be seen whether the PS will vote for/abstain on future budget votes if agreement is not reached on altering the pension reforms.