France faces more protests against looming budget cuts
Unions demand the government scrap proposed austerity cuts amid ongoing economic concerns and mobilize about 1 million people nationwide, union leaders said.
- On October 2, 2025, unions staged protests and strikes in more than 240 locations across France, while French school students blocked a high school entrance in Paris.
- Opposition from unions, including CGT and CFDT, stems from demands for more public spending, higher taxes on the wealthy, and scrapping pension changes amid Lecornu's aim to reduce the deficit to about 4.7% in 2026.
- Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said around 76,000 police officers will be deployed, with about 5,000 in the Paris region, while high-speed trains and the Paris metro should run normally.
- President Emmanuel Macron and Lecornu face pressure to control finances as early talks with opposition showed little progress and labor leaders said no clarity emerged on budget concessions.
- Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau warned earlier this week that political infighting and France's widest eurozone shortfall risk suffocating the economy amid market pressures.
22 Articles
22 Articles
France Faces Unrest: Protests Against Budget Cuts Escalate
Thousands in France protest against looming budget cuts. With over 240 planned strikes, unions demand reversal of cuts, increased public spending, and pension reforms. President Macron and PM Lecornu face pressure to manage the deficit. Police prepare for large demonstrations, echoing previous unrest over financial policies.
A few days before the general policy speech and the last arbitrations of the Prime Minister, the interunion called a new day of strikes and demonstrations on Thursday. The mobilization announced less important than 18 September.
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