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1 - France's controversial pension reform, in detail
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne unveiled on Tuesday a highly anticipated pension overhaul, announcing an increase in the retirement age to 64. 
Le Monde with AP, AFP and Reuters.Published on January 10, 2023 at 17h51, updated at 20h55 on January 10, 2023

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne delivers her speech during a press conference in Paris, Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Borne has unveiled a contentious pension overhaul aimed at raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 that has prompted vigorous criticism and calls for protests from leftist opponents and worker unions.
Here is what was proposed:
Raising the retirement age

Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Ms. Borne said the minimum retirement age to be entitled to a full pension will be gradually increased by three months every year, starting this year, in line with a longstanding pledge by President Emmanuel Macron.
In addition, people will need to have worked for at least 43 years to get a full pension, starting from 2027, she said. "Working more will allow future retirees to get higher pensions," Ms. Borne said. "By 2030, our system will be financially balanced," she added.
Those who started working before the age of 20 will be able to get early retirement, Ms. Borne added. Specific categories of workers such as police officers and firefighters will also be able to retire earlier.

The government argues that French people live longer than they used to and therefore need to work longer to make the pension system financially sustainable. All French workers receive a state pension.
However, the minimum retirement age applies to people who have worked enough years to qualify. Those who do not fulfill the conditions, like many women who interrupt their careers to raise their children and people who did long studies and started their careers late, must work until 67 to retire without penalty.
Minimum state pension

Another key measure that the government is counting on to get the reform accepted is the increase of the minimum pension for low-income workers who have a full career to 85% of the net minimum wage, i.e. nearly €1,200 at present. A measure extended to current pensioners. "Nearly two million small pensions will be increased," said Elisabeth Borne.
The prime minister said she had also decided to include in the overhaul, "the revaluation of the pensions of current retirees who have had a full career at the level of the Smic [minimum wage]," that is to say, "nearly two million small pensions." Specifying that this measure would be discussed with parliamentarians, "in particular" with the center-right Les Républicains party. Ms. Borne said that her "objective" was to see it included in the bill to be presented to the Council of Ministers on January 23.

Phased retirement
More than ten years after the abolition of the gradual cessation of activity, the government announced the return of a system of gradual retirement in the civil service, "on the same principles as the existing system for employees and the self-employed," according to a government press kit.
We will allow civil servants "to go part-time two years before the retirement age", i.e. from the age of 62, said Ms. Borne.

Long careers
The long career system, which allows people who worked five quarters before their 20th birthday to leave two years before the legal age, will be maintained. This age will therefore be raised to 62 with the reform.
People who started working before the age of 16 will be able to continue to retire from the age of 58, provided they have contributed the required insurance period, increased by one year and not two years as at present. Meanwhile, people who started working between the ages of 16 and 18 will be able to retire at the age of 60, provided they have also worked the required insurance period, plus one year.
As at present, people who are disabled or unfit for work will be able to retire at the full age of 62, and disabled workers from the age of 55. Employees who have suffered an accident at work or an occupational disease will be able to retire two years earlier than the legal age under certain conditions.

Backlash
France's eight main trade unions called for a day of strikes and protests on January 19 against pension reform announced by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
The strikes aim to "kick off a powerful movement for pensions in the long term," said a joint statement from the unions whose leaders met on Tuesday evening in Paris to plan their next steps.

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