Overview
- In an interview published Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Édouard Philippe said he rejects the phrase "du sang et des larmes" and refused to sell his program as painful sacrifice.
- He called restoring the retirement system to balance the "mother of all battles" and said people will have to work longer while refusing to commit to a specific age such as 67.
- Philippe set a fiscal goal to return the public deficit to 2% by 2032 and proposed a "golden rule" budget that would also apply to Social Security to force long-term discipline.
- He proposed growing pension capitalization so it accounts for 10 to 15 percent of pensions within fifteen years as a way to help finance the economy.
- Philippe linked domestic reform to foreign policy by saying stronger public finances are needed for France to regain influence in Europe and to "rethink" relations with Germany, a stance that could reshape Franco‑German talks and provoke political debate at home.