(MENAFN) The French National Assembly delivered a decisive blow to the contentious 2023 pension reform Wednesday, voting overwhelmingly to postpone implementation of higher retirement ages until January 1, 2028—effectively delaying the initiative until after the next presidential election.

Legislators voted 255 to 146 in favor of suspending the proposed elevation of the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, with 104 lawmakers abstaining from the ballot.

The motion secured backing principally from the Socialists, a majority of Green Party representatives, and the National Rally, while La France Insoumise, the Republicans, and most Horizons members opposed the suspension. Most Renaissance deputies declined to participate in the vote.

Competing Measures Face Rejection
In a separate proceeding, lawmakers rejected a competing proposal to freeze retirement payouts and baseline social assistance benefits by a margin of 308 to 99. That provision had been included in the draft Social Security budget as a cost-containment strategy.

Political Concessions Signal Shift
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu had announced the postponement on October 14, committing to delay any retirement age increases until no earlier than January 2028—a direct capitulation to left-wing opposition demands designed to circumvent potential censure from the Socialist Party.

Background on Original Reform
The 2023 pension legislation, advanced under former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and subsequently upheld by subsequent administrations, endeavored to incrementally raise the standard retirement age to 64. The reform ignited one of France's most prolonged industrial action campaigns in contemporary history.

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