The hot topic of pension reform had been suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The Minister of the Economy said on television that the government plan would take place "when the crisis is behind us".

After the crisis, it will be necessary to maintain public finances, repay the debt and reform pensions, said Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Saturday.

"Reality dies hard and there are a number of things that must remain in our broad political guidelines," the minister said on BFM TV.

"A debt can be repaid. Public finances must be well maintained," he said.

"Today, we protect the French, we protect employees, we protect companies, but when the time comes, we will have to find public finances that are healthy."

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"On the job it's the same thing: we are [...] the developed country which works the least. And at the same time, we are the country which has the social protection system which is among the most generous. This is no longer tenable, "he continued," and the French know it. "

Keeping a generous and efficient social protection system "has a cost", "and if we want to collectively manage to pay for it without this weighing on the pensions of the French [...], we must all agree to work more, ”explained Bruno Le Maire.

Such a reform will have to be undertaken "as soon as the economic crisis is behind us", he said.

"When the economic machine starts up again and growth returns, it will take pension reform."

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Cancel the debt? 

Faced with a debt that is set to explode, some economists are calling for the cancellation of the public debt contracted to deal with the economic and social consequences of the pandemic.

Bruno Le Maire is not of this opinion: "When you borrow money [...], if you want people to continue to lend you money, you have to give them a guarantee, only one: you will pay them back, "he said, continuing:" I certainly don't want to be the Prime Minister of Finance who all of a sudden says 'our debt, we won't pay it'. "

In the meantime, "the French do not have to worry about our ability to finance the support measures," assured the Minister of the Economy.