World
Lecornu weighs pension measures as France seeks savings for the 2027 budget
The French prime minister is considering changes affecting higher pensions and a tax break for taxable retirees. France Info reported that the plan is part of a push to find 30 billion euros in savings, despite the high political risk.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is considering ways to make retirees contribute to the 2027 budget effort as the government looks for 30 billion euros in savings, according to France Info.
The options under review include ending indexation for the highest pensions and reducing the 10% tax allowance available to retirees who pay income tax.
France Info said the issue is politically explosive because retirees are a highly mobilized voting bloc. The outlet noted that turnout among voters older than 75 was close to 80% in the summer 2024 parliamentary election, about 30 points higher than among voters under 35.
The broadcaster also recalled earlier failed attempts. Two years ago, Michel Barnier had tried to split the annual pension increase into two stages, one on January 1 and the other on July 1, with expected savings of 3 billion euros, but the proposal did not succeed. In 2025, François Bayrou proposed freezing pensions for 12 months, with estimated savings of 6 billion euros, but that plan also stalled.
According to France Info, Lecornu has asked his ministers for public accounts and labor, David Amiel and Jean-Pierre Farandou, to meet with all parliamentary groups. The prime minister is also expected to hold consultations himself while arguing that all French citizens should share in the fiscal effort, including ministers, whose pay would be reduced.
France Info added that the government is highlighting the weight of pensions in public spending, which accounts for a quarter of the total, in a country that is aging rapidly. Even so, the outlet suggested that any major move on this politically sensitive issue may have to wait until after the presidential election.
The most relevant precedent that did go through came under François Hollande, who froze pensions in 2014 and 2016, years when inflation was especially low, while benefiting from a parliamentary majority, France Info recalled.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
