French pension reform could end up in the hands of voters

French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Tuesday that the controversial pension reform could be the subject of a referendum.

The reform was pushed through in 2023 without a vote in parliament, sparking a wave of criticism. Last week, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu temporarily suspended it to win the support of the Socialist Party and prevent a vote of no confidence against the government.

Lecornu later told the National Assembly that the discussion should be held directly with French citizens—either during the presidential elections or even before that in the form of a referendum, if a joint proposal can be agreed upon with the social partners.

(reuters, mja)