Presidential 2027: Édouard Philippe rejects promise of 'blood and tears' for French voters

Édouard Philippe, a contender for the 2027 French presidential election, has outlined his economic priorities, focusing on pension reform as a central challenge. In an interview with Les Échos, Philippe declared achieving balance in the pension system as the "mother of all battles."

While not explicitly proposing to raise the legal retirement age to 67, Philippe affirmed the necessity of "working longer." He also advocated for a gradual increase in pension capitalization, suggesting it could fund 10% to 15% of pensions within fifteen years. However, he stressed this would not negate the need for longer working lives, arguing it would help France regain influence in Europe.

Philippe defended his fiscal stance against claims of austerity, contrasting France's situation with Winston Churchill's "blood and tears" speech during wartime. "France faces a budgetary difficulty that all other European countries have managed to resolve, without blood and without tears," he stated, emphasizing the need to "catch up on lost time."

He criticized the post-Covid economic policy, arguing that the virtuous cycle of tax cuts and deficit reduction pursued during his tenure as Prime Minister (2017-2020) was abandoned. Philippe aims to revive successful reforms and deepen state transformation, targeting a deficit reduction to 2% by 2032 and extending fiscal rules to the social security budget.