The struggle for sums: strikes are taking place in France due to the anti-social budget

France has been paralyzed by strikes and demonstrations by trade unions against the draft budget for 2026. According to the organizers, up to 1 million people across the country took part in anti-government protests. There were disruptions in the work of railways and subways, almost all pharmacies are not working, at least 17% of teachers did not come to work, which is why many schools were closed. Earlier, the draft budget had already led to the resignation of the government of Francois Bayrou. The new prime Minister, Sebastien Lecorny, has made concessions, but the opposition demands more. About how large—scale strikes are taking place and whether it is worth waiting for the end of the political crisis in France - in the Izvestia article.

The scale of the strike in France

A large-scale strike is taking place in France. It has been joined by eight confederations that coordinate industry trade unions. It affects the fields of education, energy, transport and pharmaceuticals.

The total number of participants in the demonstrations and strikes, according to trade union estimates, exceeded 1 million people. Up to 100,000 people demonstrated in Paris alone. Some of the metro lines were operating intermittently. In the morning, clashes with the police were recorded in some areas of the capital. The protesters also tried to block transport hubs. About 80,000 police officers were deployed across the country.

In the regions, up to 80% of pharmacies were closed due to strikes. The French Ministry of Education reported this morning that 17% of teachers across the country had not returned to work, while trade unions were talking about a figure of 45%. The railway lines were also hit: due to the strikes, communication on regional and suburban lines was affected.

This is the second wave of protests. The first one happened on September 10, and then the protesters opposed the government's draft budget. About 200,000 French people took to the streets against cuts in social spending under the slogan "Block everything." The protesters tried to block highways, block the work of railway stations, and acts of sabotage were recorded on some sections of the railway. Then the police managed to prevent the blocking of the infrastructure, so they decided to apply the same tactics to counteract the dissatisfied today.

France's problematic budget project

The reason for the French protests was the country's draft budget for 2026. France is facing an economic crisis: expenses are rising, incomes are falling. Back in the summer, the former government of Francois Bayrou submitted to the National Assembly a law in which it proposed to cancel weekends on the occasion of two public holidays, as well as adjust the indexation of pensions and other social expenses.

This decision was supposed to reduce the country's budget deficit by €44 billion, which solved the problem in general. But at the same time, spending on the army was not cut. The opposition on the left and right, which makes up the majority in the French parliament, did not appreciate this selective approach and refused to support the draft budget. The first announcements of protests and strikes appeared right then.

— The political component of the crisis is aggravated by the increasing militarization of the country and a significant increase in military spending in the interests of foreign policy commitments, including support for Ukraine and NATO. This causes confusion and irritation among citizens who have to save on social security for the sake of geopolitical goals," Maria Frolova, a researcher at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.

In early September, former Prime Minister Bayrou submitted a vote of confidence in the government to Parliament, linking it to the budget law. The parliament voted by 364 votes for his resignation, after which he safely left.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron did not give up. He simply cannot sacrifice spending on the army, because it is on them that his entire plan for the militarization of the country is based. The French leader has nothing to lose: his approval rating was already 17% before the protests. Therefore, he appointed his confidant, Sebastien Lecorny, who had previously served as Minister of Defense, to replace Bayrou. The task of carrying out an unpopular draft budget fell on him.

How will the political crisis in France end?

The new prime minister made concessions to the opposition and removed unpopular clauses on the cancellation of public holidays from the draft budget. He also signed a decree restricting the use of official cars by former ministers, but this is not enough. The protesters are coming out to protest and are ready to do it further.

According to Maria Frolova, the harsh police pressure on the protesters and partial concessions temporarily reduce tensions, but do not solve the underlying problems. In the current circumstances, such tactics only increase the escalation, as the social base of the protest has expanded and become more stable, the expert emphasized.

Despite the fact that Lecorny removed the "most annoying" points from the draft law, the strikes still took place, Sergei Fedorov, a leading researcher at the Department of Social and Political Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

— Lecorgne needs to find a compromise with the opposition, both right and left. Despite the fact that they each demand their own. Therefore, it is very difficult to find a solution that would suit everyone. The parliament is divided into three opposing blocs: the extreme left, the extreme right, and the centrists represented by the Macronists and their supporters. Therefore, Lecorn has no choice but to try to appease both the right and the left," the expert believes.

At the same time, the trade unions are demanding the complete abolition of the so-called austerity policy. The confederations that are coordinating the protests today are in favor of salary indexation, additional funding for schools, healthcare and other areas, as well as a revision of the 2023 reform, according to which the retirement age was raised to 64 years. The latter, in particular, is being sought in parliament by the "Unconquered France" (LFI) and the Party of Socialists (PS).

- The Macronists completely reject the idea of freezing or abandoning pension reform, which they have advanced with great difficulty. Neither the right, nor the left, nor the trade unions categorically agree with the reform, and the Macronists insist on its preservation," Fedorov added.

At the same time, Lecorniu comes from the Republicans party. It will be easier for him to find mutual understanding with the right in parliament than to compromise with the left. In any case, he will have to make concessions, but even if the draft budget is adopted, the political crisis in the country will not disappear.

Maria Frolova believes that what is happening in France is a systemic challenge based on a combination of economic pressure, political instability and loss of trust. She stressed that in the current circumstances, a change of government would not solve the problem of the instability of state institutions.