France witnessed a new wave of protests yesterday against economic policies and the national budget, which included strikes and demonstrations. Despite expectations of significant escalation, authorities noted that some forms of mobilization were “less intense than anticipated.”
The French trade union coordination announced a widespread strike in opposition to a series of austerity measures implemented by former Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government, with participation estimated between 700,000 and 800,000 demonstrators.
Unions presented an extensive list of demands, including the reversal of austerity measures outlined in Bayrou’s plan, which aims to save 44 billion euros by freezing spending and eliminating two public holidays.
Bruno Retailleau, the acting Minister of the Interior, stated that the demonstrations included acts of vandalism, prompting the deployment of 80,000 security personnel to maintain order, with dozens of demonstrators arrested.
Police sources reported carrying out 94 arrests during the protests across multiple locations in the country.
The strikes caused significant disruptions in vital sectors, with many train services between cities canceled and public transport, including the metro in Paris, brought to a standstill. Schools and pharmacies were also closed.
Air travel at airports is expected to remain mostly normal, though there will be limited disruptions for long-distance travel.
For several days, various French cities have seen demonstrations under the slogan “Let’s shut everything down,” protesting the economic and social policies of Emmanuel Macron. This follows the collapse of Bayrou’s government after parliament rejected a budget proposal aimed at saving 44 billion euros (approximately 52 billion dollars) to reduce the public debt, which has reached 114% of the GDP.