French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's government has made progress in pension reform talks with the Socialist Party on Tuesday, in an effort to secure more support for the incoming budget proposal.
The Socialists are demanding the immediate suspension of the reform and renegotiations of the text over a six-month period. Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure told the reporters that "no conclusion has been reached," but stressed that the negotiations have entered into the critical phase. "What I see is that between 2 pm yesterday and midnight last night, significant progress has been made, and we may be just a short distance- just a few hours - from a possible agreement," he explained.
If a pause in the plans was feasible, it would mean that individuals born in 1963 could retire at 62 years and 6 months instead of 62 years and 9 months as originally planned. Bayrou's government hinges on a successful budget proposal, following the fall of his predecessor on the same issue.
