With episodes and denials from both the right and the left, the French National Assembly began – and will continue for about two weeks – a debate on reform of the country’s pension system.

Characteristically, an hour after the start of the debate, the chairman of the body, Yael Braun Pivet, addressing the opposition benches, raised the question “whether this situation will continue for fifteen days”, receiving the answer “yes”. Both the far right and the left have submitted proposals for a referendum on the pension system, as well as some 20,000 amendments to the government bill.

In the same time unions have scheduled a mobilization for both tomorrow Tuesday and next Saturday with the main demand to withdraw the bill that would gradually raise the retirement age in France from 62, which is currently 64. However, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne appears to be accepting a proposal that French people who started taking out insurance before the age of 21 should retire at 63. A fact that political scientists interpreted as the willingness of the authorities to compromise with some of the demands of the opposition.

However, speaking before the National Assembly today, both Labor Minister Olivier Dishop and Budget Minister Gabriel Attal made it clear that if there is no reform, the pension system will be in a deadlock in a few years, and a reduction in the amount of pensions cannot be avoided.

Source: RES-IPE