Lecornu, who faces at least two no-confidence votes later this week, made the announcement in parliament as part of a last-ditch attempt to forge the conditions for passing a slimmed-down 2026 budget.
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Lecornu's decision threatens to kill off one of President Emmanuel Macron's main economic legacies at a time that France's public finances are in a perilous state, leaving him with little in the way of domestic achievements after eight years in office.

It reflects an acknowledgement by Macron that ceding ground on the landmark measure was the only way to ensure the survival of Lecornu, his sixth prime minister in under two years.


"I will propose to parliament, starting this autumn, that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until the presidential election," Lecornu told lawmakers. "No increase in the retirement age will take place from now until January 2028.
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Lecornu said the suspension would cost 400 million euros ($463 million) in 2026, and 1.8 billion euros ($2.09 billion) in 2027.

"It must therefore be financially offset, including through savings measures," he said. "It cannot come at the price of a larger deficit."

Macron's 2023 pension reform was rammed through without a vote in parliament after weeks of street protests. It gradually raises the age at which a worker can retire on a full pension from 62 years to 64.