French pension reform plan slammed from all sides

The Socialist government's plans to reform France's debt-ridden pension system , to be presented to ministers this month, fail to address the core problems and could spark fresh tensions with Brussels, experts say. Pension reforms are highly contentious in France -- with previous efforts in 1995 and 2010 unleashing mass protests and damaging strikes -- and this latest effort could be the biggest test yet for President Francois Hollande. Hollande's government stuck to his promise not to increase the current retirement age of 62 as many other countries have done following Brussels' recommendation. The reform plan, which will be officially tabled September 18, avoids some of the more controversial proposals floated in recent weeks that included slapping a new tax on French retirees. Instead, the government proposes that employees as well as businesses pay more every month to France's retirement system, a measure sure to raise eyebrows with the cost of the generous social net already one of the highest in the world.