French PM suspends Macron’s pension plan before no-confidence vote

Sebastien Lecornu hopes delaying changes until after 2027 election will win him enough support to survive

France's prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has suspended Emmanuel Macron's flagship 2023 pension overhaul until after the 2027 presidential election in the hope of winning over enough Socialist deputies to survive a no-confidence vote.

In a welcome respite for the embattled French president, the left-leaning party, which holds the balance of power in a deeply divided parliament, suggested in response on Tuesday that it would not back any of the no-confidence motions to be voted on later this week.