France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday backed the suspension of an unpopular 2023 pensions reform, in a key move to bolster his cabinet's survival and draw his country out of political crisis.

The eurozone's second-largest economy has been battling a deep political crisis since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year that were intended to consolidate his power but instead resulted in a hung parliament and gains for the far right.

After parliament toppled his two predecessors over cost-cutting measures, Lecornu, the president's seventh premier since 2017, is battling to keep his cabinet alive long enough to pass a much-needed austerity budget by the end of the year.

One major sticking point for Lecornu was an unpopular 2023 pension reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, with the Socialists -- a key swing vote in parliament -- threatening to topple the premier unless it was immediately put on hold.

During his policy speech Tuesday, Lecornu said he supported suspending the reform -- a move that could give the prime minister........

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