French PM François Bayrou Survives Socialist Motion of Censure With 189 Votes Amid Pension Reform and Senior Employment Prime Proposal

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has been engaged in a series of negotiations, known as the "conclave," with social partners to reach an agreement on pension reform. Throughout mid-June 2025, Bayrou expressed optimism about finding a path to agreement and proposed introducing a financial incentive or "prime" to encourage seniors to remain in employment beyond retirement age. Despite these efforts, the conclave ended in failure by late June, with Bayrou calling for continued dialogue to find a "voie de passage" (way forward). Following the collapse of negotiations, the Socialist Party (PS) announced and subsequently filed a motion of censure against Bayrou's government, criticizing the Prime Minister for refusing to present a parliamentary bill that would allow debate on raising the retirement age to 64.

The motion of censure was debated in early July 2025 but was rejected by the National Assembly, with 189 votes in favor falling short of the 289 required. The far-right National Rally (RN) abstained from the vote, enabling Bayrou to survive his eighth no-confidence motion. Despite surviving the vote, Bayrou's government remains politically fragile amid ongoing pension reform challenges and opposition criticism.