French PM Opposes Calls to Go back to 62 as Retirement Age

 France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
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French PM Opposes Calls to Go back to 62 as Retirement Age

 France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Sunday rejected the idea of reverting to 62 as the basic retirement age in France, appearing to narrow options for unions and employers negotiating changes to an unpopular pension reform.

Bayrou, who heads a fragile minority government, agreed to reopen discussion of the 2023 reform, including the contested measure to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, to help secure tacit support in parliament from opposition Socialists.

He tasked union and company representatives to discuss changes, saying all options were on the table provided proposals would ensure a funding deficit would be plugged.

Asked in an interview on France Inter radio if it was possible to go back to retirement at 62, he said, "No."

"The representatives in the social conference know very well what the numerical situation is and which I asked the Court of Accounts to set out," Bayrou said, referring to a report by France's audit office projecting future deficits even after the 2023 reform.

At the same time, he did not see retirement age as the only path for reforming the pension system, he said.

If unions and employers fail to agree to proposals, the government plans to proceed with implementing the 2023 reform.



Syria Meeting Focused on Need for Credible Economic Data, IMF Chief Says

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, speaks during a Press Briefing on "International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)" during the IMF/World Bank Group Spring Meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, speaks during a Press Briefing on "International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)" during the IMF/World Bank Group Spring Meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
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Syria Meeting Focused on Need for Credible Economic Data, IMF Chief Says

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, speaks during a Press Briefing on "International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)" during the IMF/World Bank Group Spring Meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, speaks during a Press Briefing on "International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)" during the IMF/World Bank Group Spring Meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2025. (AFP)

Officials from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and key countries met with Syrian authorities this week on efforts to rebuild the war-torn country, emphasizing the need for credible data, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

Georgieva said rebuilding Syria's central bank and expanding the country's capacity to generate revenue were other key issues addressed during the meeting that took place during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, who chairs the International Monetary and Financial Committee, said he was grateful to the IMF and World Bank for stepping up support for Syria, noting others including Yemen, Palestine and Lebanon would also need help.