The French Senate approved a contentious pension reform late Saturday, a government-backed project championed by President Emmanuel Macron. Amid widespread public dissatisfaction, the decision marks a new phase in a prolonged national mobilization led by the unions, now entering its seventh day.
The accelerated procedure used to debate the reform, a move by the Executive to limit opposition amendments, secured support from 195 senators with 112 votes against. In the immediate aftermath, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne hailed the vote as a decisive step toward securing France’s pension system for the future. She pledged to push for definitive adoption in the coming days and reiterated her position on social media, saying the government would press ahead with the reform to guarantee long-term stability.
The Macronist majority aligned with conservative lawmakers from The Republicans, whose leader Bruno Retailleau defended the reform as essential to counter demographic shifts that could threaten the system in the coming decades. Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt, speaking in the Senate earlier, framed the reform as a fundamental act of solidarity designed to stabilize the pension framework for the country’s workers.
Opposition voices, including socialist senator Monique Lubin, warned that the vote would cast a long shadow over wage earners, calling the day a dark mark in the history of French social policy. The text will be examined by a mixed joint committee on the 15th to produce a consolidated version acceptable to both houses, with votes in the National Assembly expected to resume around March 16.
Current expectations suggest a tight vote in the National Assembly, which did not complete a full first-reading tally. Final approval could come as early as the same day, with the latest possible window extending to March 26 at the close of the parliamentary session.
Postponing the retirement-age increase
The central pillar of Macron’s reform is to raise the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64. The government argues this change is the only viable way to ensure the system remains financially sound by 2030, projecting a deficit of roughly 150 billion euros if no action is taken in the next decade.
Debate spilled onto the streets this weekend, with thousands of French citizens joining in demonstrations organized by a broad coalition of unions to oppose the reform. It marked the seventh day of protests since details were released in January, though turnout appeared lower than during some previous actions.
Union leaders insist that public discontent runs deeply and broadly, voicing a demand for renewed governance that better reflects the concerns of workers. Polls indicate a strong public skepticism toward the reform, with significant portions of the population pushing back and urging the president to consider a referendum as a means of resolving the dispute.
In response, union executives have already called for another mobilization day set for Wednesday, aligning with the scheduled review by the joint committee as parliamentarians continue their work on the bill.