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French retirement age: secret documents suggest gradually raising retirement age to 67 years and 6 months by 2070 France’s retirement age could be raised gradually to 67 years and 6 months by 2070, according to secret documents seen by the newspaper Le Monde. The files, prepared by the finance ministry and presented to the government, propose a series of incremental increases to the legal retirement age over the coming decades as part of measures to balance public finances. The proposed plan envisages small rises phased in over many years, with the aim of limiting immediate social backlash while achieving long-term savings for the pension system. The documents reportedly model different scenarios and underline that an ageing population and increasing life expectancy will put growing pressure on public pensions. The publication of the secret files has sparked renewed debate in France, where retirement reform is a politically sensitive topic. Past attempts to raise the retirement age have triggered widespread protests and strikes. Government officials have so far not confirmed the reports, saying that no final decisions have been made. Opposition parties criticised the idea, arguing that such a measure would unfairly burden workers and those in physically demanding jobs. Labour unions warned they would mobilise against any attempt to raise the retirement age. Supporters of the move say gradual increases are necessary to ensure the sustainability of the pension system and to avoid abrupt, disruptive reforms in the future. They also point to options such as adjusting contribution rates or pension formulas as alternative or complementary measures. Le Monde’s report adds to ongoing discussions in France about how best to adapt social protection systems to demographic change without deepening social inequalities. The exact content and status of the finance ministry’s proposals remain unclear, and the government faces strong public sensitivity on any changes to retirement rules.
France Premium obtained a confidential document suggesting that by 2070 the statutory retirement age in France would be gradually raised to 67…