Labor Minister says retirement age cannot be lowered to 62

In a televised interview, Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou warned that returning to a retirement age of 62 is impossible from a budgetary standpoint. He contrasted current payroll contributions of 20% with the 4% level in 1945, and noted a similar increase in employer contributions, adding that the CSG further strains the system. Farandou suggested that the government is moving toward extending either the contribution period or the pivot age, but he stopped short of proposing a precise figure, deferring to social partners for the final decision.

He cited the "Conférence travail, emploi, retraites," a ten-month dialogue between employers and unions, whose final report is expected soon and is meant to shape the next reform. The minister framed the pension issue as part of a broader need to overhaul France’s social model, including health and welfare systems.