New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday announced he would suspend a much-debated plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move aimed at preventing his fragile minority government from being toppled.

After a week of political turmoil, the newly reappointed Lecornu said in a policy speech at the National Assembly that the law, a flagship initiative of President Emmanuel Macron, would be put on hold until after the next presidential election in 2027.

On Thursday, Lecornu will face two no-confidence motions, one from the hard-left France Unbowed and the other from the far-right National Rally. The two parties do not hold enough seats to topple Lecornu's government on their own, but the prime min...