"Working earlier means working harder and therefore retiring earlier," argued the RN presidential candidate at a press conference.
The candidate had so far been considering retirement at age 60 with 40 annuities for everyone, a proposal which had been criticized including in her own camp, some fearing a pushback measure for the right-wing electorate.
People who entered working life between the ages of 17 and 20 will be able to "benefit from a full rate from the age of 60 with 40 annuities, i.e. a gain (…) of more than 2 years of work", detailed Marine Le Pen.
For those who start working after the age of 20 and up to 24.5 years, "a progressive system of 160 to 168 quarters of contributions will be put in place", she added, for a departure between "60.75 and 62 years old", according to the RN.
Marine Le Pen wishes to "encourage young people to favor activity, the creation of value in the pursuit of higher education does not guarantee them employability".
"The lower the age of entry into employment, the lower the number of quarters needed to benefit from the rate," she explained.
Finally for those who entered working life from the age of 25 "the conditions of contributions and age will be unchanged from today", she said.
The legal retirement age is currently 62, but it is possible to leave earlier for those who started working young ("long careers") or for civil servants in the "active category" (police, firefighters…).
To have a full pension, you must either have contributed for 42 years or wait until the age of 67.
This progressive system will come into force from 2022 if she is elected, and will cost 9.6 billion euros in a full year, i.e. from 2027, said the candidate.
Marine Le Pen also repeated that pensions will be "reindexed to inflation", small pensions and the solidarity allowance for the elderly "raised to 1,000 euros".
"This ideal is that of the dignity and protection of the most fragile," she pleaded.
© 2022 AFP