French social partners have put forward an "equilibrium age" for retirement and provisions on workplace hardship as possible routes for pension reform, according to Les Echos. The proposals emerged from the social conference on work, employment and pensions, which Les Echos reports was held on Wednesday.
The conference delivered leads intended to feed both the presidential debate and ongoing dialogue between unions and employers, Le Monde reports. The idea of an "equilibrium age" drew attention as a point the social partners believe could attract consensus, according to Marianne.
The talks did not produce agreement on the central question. Le Figaro reports that after nine months of discussion, the participants concluded that no one agrees on what an ideal pension reform would look like. Ouest-France reports that the government passed the issue back to the unions and employers, who remain divided over the retirement age.
The outcome leaves the retirement age as the main unresolved point, with the social partners split and the executive declining to impose a solution. The conference's proposals now serve as material for debate rather than a settled plan.
What to watch next: whether unions and employers can convert the proposed "equilibrium age" and hardship measures into a joint position, and how the presidential campaign takes up the pension file.