PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, October 15: Papers focus on French PM Sébastien Lecornu’s suspension of the pension reform, with some describing it as a “surrender to the left”. Meanwhile, in Russia, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives for his first visit since the fall of the Assad regime. Also, Die Zeit publishes an exclusive on the life of former dictator Bashar al-Assad. Finally, Donald Trump criticises Time magazine’s “really weird” choice of cover photo.

After French PM Sébastien Lecornu’s policy speech yesterday, the spotlight is on the suspension of the pension reform. The Times headlines: “French PM freezes Macron’s state pension reform”, noting that Macron’s political legacy now hangs in the balance. The news dominates French front pages. Left-wing Libération welcomes the “major decision”, acknowledging it “doesn’t resolve the political crisis” but removes, for now, the threat of a no-confidence vote and potential dissolution. Right-wing Le Figaro criticises Lecornu for “sacrificing the pension reform to satisfy the Socialist Party”, calling the concession “huge” and a reversal of one of Macron’s few second-term reforms.

An editorial in The Wall Street Journal brands the suspension a “surrender to the left”, defending the reform as “modest” despite backlash. The increase in retirement age from 62 to 64 would still have left France below the European average. French Catholic daily La Croix says “the totems of Macronism are wavering”, adding that political instability since September has widened the gap between the French public and their representatives.

In Russia, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is expected on Wednesday for talks with Vladimir Putin, marking his first visit since Bashar al-Assad’s ousting. Saudi paper Arab News reports on the meeting, while Lebanese L’Orient-Le Jour highlights a thaw in relations, describing the new Syrian regime’s rapprochement with Moscow as “a useful card in building the new Syria”. The article notes how former jihadist leader Al-Sharaa is now engaging with Assad’s longtime ally, reflecting improved ties after months of mistrust.

Meanwhile, Assad himself remains in Moscow under Kremlin restrictions, according to German newspaper Die Zeit. Dubbed “The Silent Butcher”, Assad lives quietly in luxury apartments in a skyscraper complex known as “Moscow City”, avoiding politics and public appearances. Despite his low profile, he reportedly survived a poisoning attempt last month, per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Finally, Time magazine’s latest cover praises Trump’s Gaza ceasefire, but the former US president is displeased. The Washington Post reports Trump criticised the “really weird” cover image, saying the magazine “deserves to be called out.” Though he found the story “relatively good”, he called the picture “possibly the worst of all time”, continuing his long-standing fixation with Time covers, including his 2016 and 2024 “Person of the Year” editions.

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