Tens of Thousands Protest in France Against Austerity Measures

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Thursday in nationwide strikes and demonstrations organized by trade unions, aiming to pressure newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

Authorities reported 253 protest actions with around 76,500 demonstrators by midday. The largest marches were staged in Paris, where crowds gathered in the afternoon, while incidents were also reported in Nantes in the west and Lyon in the east. Nearly 80,000 police and gendarmes were deployed nationwide to maintain order.

The protests came just ten days after Lecornu was tasked with forming a new government, inheriting the same challenge as his predecessor, François Bayrou: introducing a budget to reduce France’s soaring public deficit, which has reached 114 percent of GDP.

The mobilization denounced what unions described as harsh financial measures in Bayrou’s proposed austerity budget, announced over the summer. The plan outlined €44 billion in savings through cuts to public services, reforms to unemployment benefits, and a freeze on social assistance.

The strikes caused significant disruption in Paris, where metro services ran only during peak hours, while transport across the rest of France remained relatively unaffected.

One-third of teachers joined the strike, forcing partial or full closures of dozens of schools. The action also extended to pharmacies, with unions reporting around 18,000 closures out of 20,000 nationwide.

Lecornu, the third prime minister appointed by President Emmanuel Macron since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, has pledged to reduce the budget deficit while promising a “break” in both style and substance.

He has begun consultations with political parties as he seeks to form his cabinet and push through the 2026 budget plan as quickly as possible.