French PM: conditions not in place right now to pursue pension reform

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that conditions were for now not right to pursue a reform of the pension system as the COVID-19 pandemic was not yet under control and the economic recovery not sufficiently robust.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that conditions were for now not right to pursue a reform of the pension system as the COVID-19 pandemic was not yet under control and the economic recovery not sufficiently robust. "This process cannot resume until the pandemic is under control and the economic recovery is sufficiently solid. This is a prerequisite for the success of this reform. For now the conditions are not in place," he told a news conference following a cabinet meeting.

President Emmanuel Macron said mid-July that France would continue its pension reforms only once the COVID-19 situation was under control. Financial daily Les Echos reported on Sunday that Macron wanted to push through part of his reform before the end of his term in May by scrapping some special early retirement plans and introducing a minimum pension of 1,000 euros for anyone who paid contributions over an entire career earning at least the minimum wage.

Pension reform was a central pillar of Macron's drive to create a more flexible labour market and reduce the state deficit, but his initial proposals infuriated unions and provoked weeks of protests and transport strikes just before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Macron put it on hold as he ordered France into lockdown a year and a half ago.