Pensions: François Bayrou seeks a path, the Socialist Party files a motion of censure

Just before this face-to-face meeting in the hemicycle, he received at Matignon the three unions participating in the conclave (CDFT, CFTC and CFE-CGC), then the president of the Medef, Patrick Martin, and finally the head of the CPME, Amir Reza-Tofighi. The Prime Minister decided to launch these meetings after the failure of the conclave on Monday evening, which is also a setback for the method of social dialogue he advocated. "I cannot accept without reacting that we are satisfied with failing so close to the goal," he explained Tuesday morning.

He received the support of President Emmanuel Macron, who since Oslo has "ardently encouraged" the social partners "to move beyond the disagreements that persist and to find together a solution that is good for the country." According to the social partners' statements as they left Matignon, the Prime Minister notably asked them during the meeting to address to him their sticking points in their discussions. "The idea is that there will be no new negotiation session; it is up to the Prime Minister to take note and decide by the end of the week what to do with what is on the table today," said Marylise Léon, the general secretary of the CFDT, as they left.

On the Medef side, Patrick Martin said he was "fully in agreement with transmitting" to the Prime Minister the list of remaining disagreements, "in the spirit of reaching" an agreement, but "without this resulting in an increase in contributions from employees or companies." FO and the CGT, which had withdrawn very quickly from the discussions, were not invited to Matignon on Tuesday, despite the request of the CGT's general secretary, Sophie Binet.

The social partners failed to reach an agreement Monday evening to amend the Borne reform to make it less unpopular and restore the pension system to balance by 2030, despite a deficit of €6.6 billion currently projected for that deadline. The social partners, while close to a consensus on measures to benefit women who have had children, disagree on the inclusion of arduous work.

The Medef (French employers' union) rejects the CFDT's proposal, supported by the other two unions, for a points system that would allow for the calculation of physically demanding working hours (load carrying, physical postures, mechanical vibrations) and provide the possibility of early retirement.

Instead, he proposes bringing forward the retirement dates of people on disability or those recognized as unfit for work by one or two years, depending on the circumstances. CPME head Amir Reza-Tofighi urged Tuesday evening that an agreement be reached on this issue: "We really need to find a way forward around hardship," he declared after his meeting with François Bayrou.

The social partners are also at odds over the financing of the measures that would be adopted. They agree that retirees should bear a very large share of the cost of returning to equilibrium, through under-indexing pensions. But the unions criticize the MEDEF (French employers' association) for refusing any participation from companies in this return to equilibrium, for example by opposing any increase in social security contributions, whether employer or employee. And the two parties disagree on the extent of the tightening to be made to the long-career system, with the MEDEF calling for a very significant tightening at the expense of employees, while the unions agree only to a more limited overhaul.

The conclave was the result of a compromise reached with the Socialists to avoid a government vote of censure during the 2025 budget vote. And the Prime Minister had pledged to present its conclusions to Parliament. The possibility of reversing the retirement age of 64 was quickly dismissed. This flagship, and unpopular, measure of the 2023 Borne reform will therefore remain in effect for employees born on or after January 1, 1968.