The government specifies the groups affected by the expansion of the suspension of pension reform.

The government will table an amendment aimed at extending the suspension of pension reform to long careers, as demanded by the left, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon announced on Monday.

Members of Parliament are due to discuss this suspension on Wednesday, as part of the examination of the draft social security budget, which at this stage only concerns ordinary pensioners.

The suspension of the reform was a condition set by the socialists in order not to censure the government at the start of the budget debates.

But environmentalists and communists were demanding, in particular, that long careers be included via a government amendment.

The government will present an amendment to the parliamentary debate to "take into account the specific cases that had not been included in the amending letter" providing for the suspension of the pension reform, it was stressed on Tuesday by the Ministry of Labour.

Those affected will include "long careers, active and super-active categories of the civil service" (nursing assistants, firefighters, etc.), and "the specific pension schemes of Mayotte and Saint Pierre and Miquelon." In total, those benefiting from the suspension will represent "more than 20% of a generation."

In addition, the government wants to extend the principle of suspension to people born during the first quarter of 1965.

This would mean they could retire at 62 years and 9 months rather than 63 years in the amending letter.

The Minister of Labour, Jean-Pierre Farandou, indicated last week that Matignon was "open to a broadening of the people concerned" by the suspension of the reform, in particular those with long careers.

If the examination of the draft social security financing bill (PLFSS) is not completed by Wednesday, the text will be sent to the Senate regardless due to constitutional deadlines.

Extending the suspension of the reform will cost €200 million in 2026 and €500 million in 2027.

The extension of the suspension of pension reform, particularly to long careers, will cost 200 million in 2026 and 500 million in 2027, according to the amendment tabled Wednesday morning by the government and consulted by AFP.

This expansion will be financed by the increase in the CSG on capital income, voted last week by the National Assembly during the revenue section of the draft finance law on social security, specified the Minister of Labour Jean-Pierre Farandou, guest on France 2 Wednesday morning.

"There is an additional 1,4 points of CSG which will be available for use," he said.

"We have integrated long careers (...) we have also integrated what we call the active and super active categories of the civil service family," the minister explained.

"These are difficult jobs: we think of police officers, firefighters, sewer workers, professional firefighters, air traffic controllers. These are people who will be able to leave earlier (...) They will gain a quarter, that's important. That's about 20% more people," estimated Jean-Pierre Farandou.

"It's an adjustment (...) The amendment was tabled this morning at 08:00," the minister added on Wednesday.

Asked about the merits of this suspension of pensions, and what he thought of it as a citizen, Mr. Farandou was pragmatic: "This suspension of the pension reform, clearly, is first and foremost an act of political stability," he stated.

"It is clear that this was a necessary condition. (...) I am convinced of the need for stability, and it's not just me; roughly 61% of the French people need this stability. They have clearly understood that a government must be able to work to meet their expectations. France needs a budget, both the general budget and the social security budget," he elaborated.

A "fatal error" by the government, Patrick Martin told Le Figaro

The head of the Medef, Patrick Martin, described the government's concession to the left by suspending pension reform as a "fatal error" and a "heresy".

"This postponement is the original mistake, the fatal error. (...) It is heresy. Not only in terms of public finances, but also in terms of the economy," the employers' representative told the newspaper, as MPs are due to discuss this suspension on Wednesday, as part of the examination of the draft social security budget.

For Patrick Martin, this suspension will "further worsen the employment rate in France, which is one of our main problems".

"It is also a social mistake, because inevitably it will weigh on taxpayers. To top it all off, this concession made to the left was not made to settle all accounts since, since then, there has been a tax bidding war," adds the head of the employers' association.

He denounces in particular "a hijacking of the debate" which "consists of making people believe that the real problem in France is that of tax fairness. This is absolutely false!".

"Today, all the cost-cutting measures are being cancelled and offset by an increase in taxation. I repeat, this is the opposite of what should be done," laments the business leader.

"Political stability is obviously desirable, but at what price?", Patrick Martin asks at the beginning of the interview, saying a little later that he is "appalled" by "the form of the debates as well as the substance of the discussions".

The government, which had already agreed to suspend the pension reform to avoid censure from the socialists, will table an amendment to extend the suspension to long careers, as demanded by the left.

Long careers, certain categories of the civil service, or people born during the first quarter of 1965 will also be able to benefit from the suspension of the pension reform, the Ministry of Labour specified on Tuesday.