Factbox-Macron wants the French to work longer, shake up welfare state

French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election in the 2022 French presidential election, and his wife Brigitte Macron greet people as they walk on the beach, on the eve of the second round of the presidential election, in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, April 23, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

President Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker who was elected in 2017 on a promise to be neither of the left nor the right, is projected in voter surveys to win a second term against a resurgent far-right Marine Le Pen, although with a smaller margin of victory.

Here are his main policy proposals:

French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election in the 2022 French presidential election, reacts during a campaign rally in Figeac on the last day of campaigning, ahead of the second round of the presidential election, France, April 22, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

ECONOMY

* Raise the minimum pension age to 65 from 62 and increase the minimum monthly pension to 1,100 euros ($1,187).

* Require 15-20 hours a week of training for welfare benefit recipients

* Cut taxes by 15 billion euros with half for households and the rest for businesses.

* Further loosen labour market rules and reform unemployment insurance to make payments vary according to the state of the economy

* Raise the threshold over which inheritance tax kicks in from 100,000 euros to 150,000 euros

EUROPE, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

* Make the European Union more self-sufficient in defence, agriculture, energy and strategic economic sectors

* Strengthen the capacities of national European armies, increase co-ordination between them and create a "common military doctrine"

* Create European industrial champions including a "European metaverse"

* Reform the European electricity market

IMMIGRATION & SECURITY

* Make long-term residence permits conditional on a French exam and employment

* Expel foreigners deemed to be trouble-makers

* Create a rapid-action force to restore order in troubled "banlieues", economically deprived suburbs.

* Broader scope for on-the-spot-fines for petty crime

ENERGY

* Build six new nuclear reactors and launch studies for another eight, increase solar energy capacity tenfold, build 50 wind farms at sea by mid-century

* Take control of certain energy companies, suggesting that the government would revive stalled plans to buy out minority shareholders in nuclear utility EDF

* Renovate 700,000 homes a year

* Leasing scheme to make electric vehicles more accessible

* Put the next prime minister directly in charge of "green planning" to make France the "first great nation". Stop using oil, coal and gas

($1 = 0.9264 euros)

(Compiled by Michel Rose; Editing by Richard Lough and Ros Russell)