French centre-right presidential candidate Edouard Philippe proposed raising the retirement age from 62.9 to 65 within a decade and extending required contributions to 45 years from 42.5 to 43 years, depending on date of birth. He also wants private retirement savings to become compulsory, with state contributions to young workers’ plans. Exceptions for physically demanding jobs and people who began working particularly young would allow one in three workers to retire between 60 and 64. The proposals target a pension system funded on a pay-as-you-go basis that is moving into deficit as the population ages, making reform a major issue ahead of the April-May 2027 presidential election. Philippe, a former prime minister during President Emmanuel Macron’s first term, is struggling in the polls after coming close to advancing a pension overhaul in 2020.