Political Turmoil in France as Socialist Party Refuses to Support Censure Against Suspension of Pension Reform
Following Prime Minister Lecornu’s suspension of pension reform, the Socialist Party’s refusal to support censure has intensified political tensions and sparked division across France’s National Assembly.
- • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suspended the pension reform to avoid government censure.
- • The Socialist Party backed the suspension and did not support the censure motion, viewing it as a political win.
- • Left-wing parties like La France insoumise and the Greens criticized the Socialists, calling for full repeal and censure.
- • Right-wing leaders accused the government of capitulating to socialists and discussed potential new alliances.
- • The suspension and ensuing political reactions mark a critical moment for Lecornu’s government stability in the Assembly.
Key details
On October 16, 2025, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the suspension of the pension reform during a National Assembly session, aiming to quell the political crisis and prevent the new government from being censured. This decision, at the heart of President Macron’s agenda, has sparked intense parliamentary reactions.
The Socialist Party (PS) celebrated the suspension as a significant victory, with Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialist deputies, declaring refusal to join the censure motion against the government. This stance, likened to the 2006 abandonment of the first employment contract (CPE), demonstrated the PS’s strategic choice to back the suspension rather than push for censure. Olivier Faure and Vallaud had previously left the Élysée after discussing pension reforms earlier in October.
However, the decision isolated the Socialists, drawing sharp criticism from other left-wing groups. La France insoumise (LFI), led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, accused the PS of betraying the left, launching a social media campaign condemning their move. Mathilde Panot of LFI insisted that the reform "should not be suspended, it should be repealed." The Green Party’s Cyrielle Chatelain called the suspension a "small pause" and advocated voting for censure, while Communists, led by Stéphane Peu, planned to support the censure motion as well.
Meanwhile, right-wing leaders accused the government of being "held hostage by the socialists." Republicans’ Bruno Retailleau criticized this dynamic, and former LR president Éric Ciotti, now aligned with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), suggested talks about a right-wing alliance shift. RN leader Jordan Bardella slammed the coalition as an "association of saviors of Emmanuel Macron," united by "fear of elections."
This complex parliamentary landscape highlights the fractures within the French left and ongoing maneuvering across the political spectrum as the government strives to survive the current crisis.
The government, led by Lecornu’s second term, awaits the outcome of the censure vote, which symbolizes a key test of its stability after the pension reform suspension announcement.