French prime minister suspends a controversial pension reform to avoid government collapse

PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday he will propose suspending a controversial plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move aimed at preventing his fragile minority government from being toppled.

After a week of intense political turmoil , the newly reappointed Lecornu said Tuesday in a policy speech at the National Assembly that the law, a flagship policy of French President Emmanuel Macron, would be put on hold until after the next presidential election, to be held in 2027.