FRENCH Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced today that he was suspending the implementation of President Emmanuel Macron’s flagship pension reform until the 2027 presidential election.

In a major climbdown, Mr Lecornu told the National Assembly as he presented his budget that the deeply unpopular plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 would not now take place until January 2028.

The proposals were rammed through parliament without a vote in 2023 despite mass protests.

But Mr Lecornu said he still planned to slash public-sector jobs, place a freeze on pensions and social security payments and bring in a temporary surtax on individuals with incomes over €250,000 (£217,958) year.

The prime minister was reappointed to the job last Friday by President Macron just days after he resigned from the post.

It is unclear whether the major concession will be enough to save the government.

Left-wing France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally have already submitted censure motions against the prime minister which will be debated on Thursday.

Neither has enough seats to topple Mr Lecornu’s government on their own, but the prime minister could quickly be undone if the Socialist Party and Green lawmakers join forces with them.

The Socialist Party leaders have said the party is considering its position.