French President Plans to Increase the Legal Retirement Age to 65

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he is planning to increase the legal retirement age to 65 from the current age of 62. This decision has raised a controversial issue three weeks before the national elections.

Macron proposed a review of the country's pension system about two years ago, urging a transport strike that lasted more than a month. When the Covid 19 pandemic broke out, the government shelved the plan.

The union leaders have opposed the proposal saying that they are unfair. However, Mr Macron claims that the proposal is different from the previously planned pension overhaul. Earlier in 2019, Mr Macron proposed a system for bonuses and penalties to motivate people to work until 64.

Known as the "pivot age," this provision was temporary, designed to support the country's pension budget, while gradually transitioning to a new universal system based on points earned by workers throughout their careers. 

Mr Macron also said that he wanted to make France more self-sufficient and independent, saying he would invest in the country’s agricultural sector, military as well as nuclear energy.