On Thursday, France experienced a large wave of strikes and protests as unions, workers, and students united against austerity. Teachers, train drivers, hospital staff, and pharmacists joined in, while high school students blocked entrances to their schools with banners condemning budget cuts. The walkouts disrupted public transport, with most metro lines in Paris shut down for much of the day and regional train services reduced. Some highways were blocked, and the impact reached the energy sector, with EDF reporting a slight reduction in nuclear output due to staff action.
The protests are a response to fiscal plans inherited from the previous government, which include billions in spending cuts to bring France’s deficit closer to EU limits. Unions argue the measures are unfair and demand greater investment in schools, hospitals, and essential services, alongside higher taxes for the wealthy. President Emmanuel Macron and his new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu now face pressure to balance investor confidence with public anger. Lecornu’s predecessor François Bayrou was ousted after pushing a €44 billion savings plan, leaving the new leader to find a compromise.
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The demonstrations revealed the scale of frustration across French society. Authorities estimated that up to 800,000 people could take part nationwide, with almost half of primary school teachers in Paris and one in three nationally joining the strike. In Toulon, protesters slowed traffic on highways, while elsewhere students, farmers, and health workers mobilized. The USPO pharmacists’ union said that 98 percent of pharmacies were expected to close, reflecting the wide support for the protest movement.
The government deployed 80,000 police and gendarmes across the country, supported by riot squads, drones, and armored vehicles, to prevent clashes and manage road blockades. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said blockades had been cleared at bus depots in the Paris region, and warned that as many as 8,000 agitators could attempt to create disturbances. By midday, more than 20 arrests had already been reported.
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The strike also disrupted cultural events, including plans to move the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain. The scale of the action has shown that Macron’s government faces one of its toughest challenges yet in addressing both financial constraints and public unrest.
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