Paris (France) (AFP) – Another quarter, or even two, to validate before knowing the precise contours of Édouard Philippe’s pension reform? Much anticipated on the issue, the Horizons candidate prefers to procrastinate, worrying some of his supporters and making his competitors happy.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 17:21

The observers, supporters and opponents of the mayor of Le Havre who were waiting for a clarification on Sunday in Tourcoing (North) during the return of Gérald Darmanin were to their cost. The Minister of Justice, when announcing his rallying in mid-August, had nevertheless put the cursor on the question himself, saying he was "against retirement at 67" and explaining that Édouard Philippe, for the moment, had "not changed his mind".

The “retirement at 67” has stuck with the Horizons candidate since an interview at Challenges in... 2021, during which he mentioned a starting age of “65, 66 or 67”. Obliging all his supporters, since then, to try to clear up this question on which all his adversaries, competitors... and Gérald Darmanin insist.

In response, Sunday, Édouard Philippe explained that he had “heard” the “expectations” of the elected official from the North. And promised to present a pension reform which “will be responsible for all and fair for everyone”. Which will reconcile, in his words, “the demographic reality” and “the reality of jobs and careers”.

Understand: not everyone will be in the same boat. What the Horizons candidate had already suggested on several occasions, notably during his meeting on July 5.

In March 2025, in Lille, he also mentioned the merger of the current pension systems into “three systems: private, public, independent”, which must “be balanced, including by the introduction of a dose of collective capitalization”. And mentioned the adoption of this reform by referendum after the presidential election, which no longer seems, today, as much of a priority.

-“Ideological battle” first-

So many elements suggesting that Édouard Philippe's pension reform is already well put together. So why procrastinate on the issue of age? “I will have the opportunity to say my entire plan on pensions (...) when the time comes,” the candidate said on Wednesday on France Inter.

But “at this stage of the campaign, what I want is to fight politically to bring into the public debate the idea that we are all going to have to work longer,” explained the former Prime Minister. Who then intends to "start a discussion with the social partners" to see how far they would be willing to go.

The “ideological battle” first, therefore, around this notion of “working longer”. But this strategy arouses some concern even within the ranks of Horizons. “He has to do it early. We have to stop,” explained a member of his team last week.

Measures on immigration during a trip to Mayotte, proposals on unemployment compensation, on sick leave... "We have taken on some very tough things during this start of the school year. We have to finish the package", continued this source, who underlined that Gabriel Attal, competitor of the central bloc, "hit us in all his interviews saying 'I'm not proposing retirement at 67'".

“I have a lot of respect, a lot of friendship for Édouard Philippe” but “we do not have the same project”, explained Gabriel Attal Tuesday evening on France 2.

“I consider that if the debate on pensions in the 2027 presidential election comes down to knowing whether to place the starting age at 64, 65, 66 or 67 years old, then we will have lost everything, because that is the debate of twenty years ago,” supported the Renaissance candidate, who proposes an overhaul of the system, with the elimination of the legal starting age.

Will Édouard Philippe be able to persist for several months before showing his cards? "He is aware that we must not let the idea take hold that he is the 67-year-old man and nothing else. Especially since he never said that. But that's how he is caricatured. And so perhaps, without too much delay, we will have to get into the hard part of what he is proposing on pensions, because it is the elephant in the room," slips one of his close friends.

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