New French PM says won't repeal Macron's pension reform law

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00The 1st of October looms large for France's new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier.

00:05It's the deadline for submitting a draft 2025 budget,

00:08a tight turnaround for a particularly challenging task.

00:12With the country under pressure from the European Commission to lower its deficit,

00:16Barnier faces a fiscal tightrope.

00:18We need to strike the right balance between restoring public services and preserving growth,

00:23so it is a difficult path to tread, especially in a short time period.

00:29His predecessor, Bruno Le Maire,

00:31left behind a budget blueprint with over 15 billion euros in savings.

00:36Although he has promised a new era,

00:38Barnier has said he is not prepared to repeal the highly unpopular pension reform,

00:42signed into law by the President last year,

00:45which raised the state's pension age from 62 to 64.

00:50This law was passed in very difficult conditions.

00:53It required debates.

00:55Is it the one I would have voted for?

00:57Probably at the end of the road.

00:59But is it the one I would have proposed?

01:01Maybe there were other ideas.

01:03In any case, I will open the debate on improving this law for the most vulnerable people.

01:09If Barnier manages to form a government,

01:11the next step is getting the backing required to achieve his goals,

01:15as France's oldest Prime Minister takes the reins.

01:19If he gets the budget through Parliament,

01:21Barnier has listed his priorities as education,

01:24immigration policy and purchasing power.

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