The French Parliament adopted a symbolic resolution on Thursday, calling for the repeal of the 2023 pension reform, which raised the legal retirement age to 64. The non-binding resolution, introduced by the Communist-led Democratic and Republican Left (GDR) group, passed with 198 votes in favor and 35 against. Stephane Peu, GDR group leader, emphasized that the French people have not moved on from the issue, citing a recent poll showing two-thirds of the population support repealing the reform.
The pension reform was passed in March 2023, utilizing Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which allows the government to bypass a vote in the assembly. This move triggered mass protests and a narrowly survived no-confidence motion.
Parliament calls for repeal
Left-wing parties, including France Unbowed (LFI), the Socialists, and the Greens, backed the resolution, along with the far-right National Rally (RN). However, RN deputy Theo Bernhardt criticized the left for not supporting a similar RN-led initiative last October, stating that without the RN, no repeal can happen. The presidential camp rejected the resolution, with Renaissance MP Stephanie Rist calling it “lazy and sterile.” Labor Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet emphasized that demographic pressures render pension reform inevitable, noting that this is the third time in six months that the assembly has debated the 2023 reform.
She also pointed out that no government has ever reversed past pension reforms, including the unpopular 2010 reform under former President Nicolas Sarkozy. While the resolution carries no legal weight, its supporters see it as a formal expression of parliamentary opposition and a means to increase pressure on the government. The passage of the resolution highlights the ongoing political and social tensions surrounding the pension reform issue in France.
