French PM’s ‘dramatic’ move to freeze pension reform sets agenda for 2027 presidential race

France’s new Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has proposed freezing President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform in a bid to avert a no-confidence vote. The concession meets a key demand from the Socialist Party, whose support is crucial in parliament. Paul Smith, a French politics expert at the University of Nottingham, told FRANCE 24 he was surprised Lecornu “went as far as he did” by suspending Macron’s flagship economic reform until the next presidential election. He added that “an awful lot of decisions depend on timing”, noting that this move will keep the pension reform front and centre ahead of the 2027 vote.