French parliament halts President Macron's landmark pension reform

The French National Assembly has voted by a large majority to halt the pension reform - a landmark in President Emmanuel Macron's program that has sparked protests and political turmoil.

255 French MPs have voted to freeze the pension reform, with only 146 opposing it. This decision will halt the gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 - a measure that has sparked violent protests and whose abolition was a condition for the government of Sébastien Le Corneille not to fall.

As expected, the most votes came from the socialists and environmentalists, the presidential coalition "Renaissance" abstained, and the far-left and communists voted against, demanding the reform be completely repealed.

Socialist leader Olivier Faure described the vote as a "big victory", while conservative Bruno Retayo called it "capitulation".

Stopping the reform will cost nearly 2 billion euros over the next two years, as France tries unsuccessfully to combat its huge deficit.

The text must be considered by the Senate, which is dominated by the right, and whose president, Gérard Larcher, has already spoken out strongly against stopping the reform.