France's pension plans: "If Germany plunges into misfortune, we don't have to follow"
Created: 01/10/2023, 16:35
By: Patricia Huber
France is currently planning to raise the retirement age.
But that doesn't get everyone excited.
© IMAGO / Klaus W. Schmidt / Michael Gstettenbauer
Macron would like to raise the retirement age in France based on the German model.
But for the most part, that doesn't go down well with its citizens.
Paris – France is screwing on the pension.
So far, the French have been able to retire quite early.
There are currently 42 different pension systems in France.
With a reform, the government now wants to ensure that more seniors than before remain in the workforce.
At the end of 2021, only 36 percent of those aged 60 to 64 were employed.
Retirement age in France: Macron plans to raise it to 64
President Emmanuel Macron wants the French to work longer and thus pay into the pension fund longer before retiring.
There is talk of gradually raising the retirement age from the current 62 to 64 years – which would be a first concession, because Macron originally stated 65 years as the goal.
By raising the retirement age, France is also somewhat following the German pension system.
In Germany, the regular retirement age will be gradually raised to 67 by 2031.
While Macron is convinced that the pension reform is the right one, resentment is spreading among the opposition and the unions.
Even before the plans were presented, the left-wing radicals called for a day of protest on January 21, the day before the 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, for which the federal government and numerous members of the Bundestag are expected in Paris.
Right-wing populist party leader Jordan Bardella described the reform as "superfluous" and announced that it would be blocked in the National Assembly.
The boss of the largest union CFDT, Laurent Berger, calls an increase in the retirement age a "red line".
He warned of social unrest.
France's economists disagree over German pension system
French economists also seem to disagree about the pension reform.
In a debate on
Radio France
, liberal economist Jean-Marc Daniel thinks it would be wise to follow Germany's pension plans.
"With its reform, Germany has shown how it should work and boosted its production with the longer working hours," he said.
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However, his discussion partner, the economist Thomas Porcher, has a completely different opinion.
He considers the French pension system to be exemplary and stresses that the country has the lowest poverty rate among pensioners.
He is of the opinion: "If Germany plunges into misfortune, we don't have to follow." would receive less pension.
(pH/AFP)
