French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (October 21) a referendum to settle the pension reform debate remains a possibility.

That reform, that was rammed through the Parliament without a vote in 2023, has been suspended last week by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in order to win over support from the Socialist Party and thus survive no confidence votes.

Speaking during a visit to Slovenian capital Ljubljana for a meeting of Mediterranean EU states, Macron also said the Med9 group shared a "common understanding" on support for Ukraine and that "considerable diplomatic efforts" would be needed to maintain a precarious ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON AND SLOVENIA'S PRIME MINISTER ROBERT GOLOB WATCHING DOCUMENT SIGNING / APPLAUDING

2. MACRON AND GOLOB AT PRESS CONFERENCE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING:

"I believe that the reform that was passed was a necessary reform for the country, and was presented to the French people during the 2022 presidential campaign, since I had committed to a reform extending to 65. It was not voted for by all opposition parties, I remind you, in 2023, but was the subject of a responsible commitment from the government and was thus passed. The Prime Minister made a choice to calm the current debate, which consisted of proposing a postponement of the deadline. I say this here because it is neither a repeal nor a suspension."

4. REPORTER ASKING QUESTION

5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING:

"The debate will have to be reopened, and I am pleased that the Prime Minister wished to reopen this debate at the same time, and that several union and employer groups have expressed their desire to resume it. And this must be done in a peaceful manner because the issue of ageing will not be resolved by a compromise necessary to pass the budget. On this issue, the prospect of a referendum is possible. We still need to know what it will be about."

6. MACRON SPEAKING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING:

"We share a common understanding on major international issues, including support for Ukraine today, and the desire for a robust and lasting peace that also ensures the security of all Europeans. We also share a common understanding on the situation in the Near and Middle East, with our shared desire to work towards a sustainable framework for peace, which is only possible through the two-state perspective. We also share all the work we are currently doing with our Arab and European partners, and in conjunction with the United States of America, to ensure that the ceasefire and the return of the hostages of the last few days can lead to a stable and lasting peace, which still requires considerable diplomatic efforts on the humanitarian, security, and political fronts."

8. MACRON AND GOLOB SHAKING HANDS AND WALKING OFF

9. VIEW OF LJUBLJANA

10. MACRON AND GOLOB WALKING AT LJUBLJANA CASTLE, GREETING ONLOOKERS

11. MACRON SHAKING HANDS INSIDE CASTLE

12. MACRON VIEWING RENAULT TWINGO EV PROTOTYPE

13. MACRON POSING FOR PHOTO WITH FRENCH INDUSTRIALIST AND RENAULT CHAIRMAN JEAN-DOMINIQUE SENARD