Macron and Le Pen opposed on the retirement age

Europe 1 with AFP 11:02 p.m., April 20, 2022

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen opposed each other on Wednesday during their debate on the retirement age, which the head of state wishes to gradually raise to 64 or 65, while the president of the RN wants to remain "between 60 and 62 years old.

Marine Le Pen assured that with her, the employees "will retire between 60 and 62 years old" and that "to have a full pension, they will need between 40 and 42 annuities".

She also defended a "progressive" system where "those who have had a first significant job before the age of 20 will be able to retire at age 60, after 40 annuities".

"Gradually, as the age at which we enter the system, we will reach a maximum of 42 annuities 62 years", she assured.

"An unjust reform" for Le Pen

"It is obviously very different from the project of Mr. Macron who wants to make everyone work until the age of 65", she added, seeing there "an absolutely unbearable injustice".

Because "considering that no one can have a full pension anymore, because no one will reach that age with the number of annuities which will obviously increase" is "deeply unfair" and "absolutely not justified in budgetary terms" , hammered Ms. Le Pen.

"I want to keep this treasure that is our pay-as-you-go system" replied Emmanuel Macron, according to whom "there is only one way to finance, it is to work progressively more" with on the one hand "the full employment" but also by "shifting the legal age" of retirement "by 4 months per year".

Macron wants a minimum pension of 1,100 euros

This means raising this age "in 2028 to 64, and in 2031 to 65", he added, defending a system of "long careers" and another of "difficulty".

"You are proposing to remove the hardship system, I think it's a bad idea," assured the head of state.

He also advocated increasing the minimum amount of pensions "to 1,100 euros" for "those who have a full career" and "removing the main special schemes".

On this subject of pensions too, Emmanuel Macron tackled his opponent: "you never explain how you finance (...) you are not honest with people" and "either you have hidden taxes, or you will jeopardize the pensions of retirees," he said.