Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that it is “possible the prospect of a referendum” on pension reforms is possible, but he made clear that this requires reaching “a consensus” on the features of the new system.

During a press conference in Ljubljana, the French president denied that the government has decided to “suspend” the 2023 reform, describing the decision as a “mere shift” in time.

“On the issue of pensions, the prospects for a referendum are possible, but we need to know on which issue it will be held, Macron said. He stressed that such a process cannot be done except“based on an agreement that will define the limits “of the new system.

“Shifting the deadline”

The French president clarified that the 2023 reform has not been cancelled or suspended, but merely postponed in time, “with a view to calm”, as desired by Prime Minister Sebastian Le Corneille to reach a compromise on the 2026 budget, in particular with the Socialist Party. Meanwhile, Lecorni had clearly used the term “suspension” during his statement to Parliament on 14 October. “I will propose to Parliament to suspend the 2023 pension reform until the presidential elections, he had said at the time.

For Macron,” the reform voted in 2023 was a necessary reform for the country” and “we should reopen the debate” in a “calm way”. “I think the most important thing is to have first a moment of stability, calm discussions on the budget,” and then “to resume work calmly on the issue of pensions by the trade union and employer forces. Based on this, we will then see which way to go.”