Édouard Philippe, a candidate for the 2027 presidential election under the Horizons party, unveiled his pension reform proposal on September 29 in a 20-minute video. He suggested gradually raising the legal retirement age to 65 years and the required contribution period to 45 years, aiming to restore balance to the pay-as-you-go system, where current workers fund retirees. This plan would continue the 2023 reform, which set the legal retirement age to 64 years and the contribution period to 43 years, and would reach 65 years and 45 years of contributions in under a decade. Philippe assured that one in three French people would still be able to retire between 60 and 64 years, particularly those who started working young or in physically demanding jobs. Philippe also proposed adding a capitalization component to the pension system, which would ensure every French person has a retirement savings plan. He emphasized that the retirement age for people with health issues would remain unchanged: 55 years for those with disabilities, 60 years for those with permanent incapacity, and 62 years for invalids. Additionally, the long careers policy, which allows for early retirement for those with extensive work experience, would remain in place. Philippe's proposal contrasts with that of Gabriel Attal, the leader of the Renaissance party, who favors eliminating the legal retirement age and instead basing the system on the contribution period with a discount and surcharge mechanism. Attal criticized Philippe's plan as a repeat of Emmanuel Macron's 2022 proposal and argued the system is no longer sustainable. Raphaël Glucksmann, another candidate, called Philippe's reform "deeply unacceptable" and stressed the need to focus on work hardship rather than age. Other candidates have also put forward their own reforms. Marine Le Pen, from the National Rally, wants to return to a legal retirement age of 62 years or even 60 years for those who started working before the age of 20. Bruno Retailleau, from the Republicans, proposed a minimum retirement age of 63 years and a full retirement age of 65 years, with a 7% discount for early retirees. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, from La France Insoumise, aims to bring back the legal retirement age to 60 years with a required contribution period of 40 years. As the 2027 presidential election approaches, the debate over pensions is becoming more intense, with candidates offering a wide range of solutions, from parametric reforms to full system changes and the introduction of capitalization components. While Philippe's proposal aims to be responsible and fair, it faces challenges in gaining public support, especially as his popularity declines and opponents continue to criticize his plan.