While the social partners have been engaged since February in a cycle of discussions on possible improvements to the 2023 pension reform, the question of a further postponement of the retirement age has resurfaced from an unexpected angle: that of financing the war economy.
In his speech on March 5, Emmanuel Macron insisted on the need for France to increase its arms production in the face of international tensions, invoking a collective effort and a form of "sacred union" to strengthen the country's capabilities. This position immediately rekindled the debate on the working hours of the French, with some close to the government believing that a postponement of the legal age could contribute to financing this military effort.
Although the executive has not officially formulated this hypothesis, some influential voices, such as that of Gilbert Cette, president of the Pensions Advisory Council, believe that the current geopolitical context risks rendering the debate on the increase to 64 years obsolete. This is enough to exacerbate tensions in already fragile social negotiations, where unions and employers are trying to agree on adjustments without touching the legal age.
The tense climate of these discussions, marked by the boycott of Force Ouvrière and growing doubts about the real room for maneuver of the social partners, could deteriorate further if this track were to be confirmed by the government. The next meetings scheduled until June therefore look more uncertain than ever, against a backdrop of new economic and strategic pressures.