French pension reform bill cleared by lower house

Under current rules, both men and women in France can retire at 60, providing they have paid social security contributions for 40.5 years – although they are not entitled to a full pension until they are 65.

If passed, the reforms will raise the retirement age to 62 by 2018, the pension age to 67, and will increase the social security contribution requirement by a year.

The government says this will save the country 70bn euros (£58bn).

Jean-Marc Ayrault, the leader of the Socialists in the Assembly, said his party also believed reform was “indispensable”.

“But unlike you, we do not accept that the weight and the price of the crisis is borne by its victims,” he told the government.

The UMP has accused the Socialists of blocking the bill without coming up with a viable alternative to address the deficit.

As the bill was debated, thousands of people protested outside the parliament building, repeating their threats of nationwide open-ended strike action if it became law.