French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday pledged to address concerns from protesting high school students and announced the release of strategic fuel reserves to lower prices.
"The anger among young people didn't come out of nowhere," Lecornu said in a national address. He stated that the government's first policy responses to issues such as run-down schools, a shortage of substitute teachers, and scheduling demands would be introduced later this month. A public platform has been established for students to voice their grievances.
On Tuesday, demonstrations across France saw between 256,000 and 450,000 participants, according to police and organizers respectively. Unions, teachers, and left-wing parties joined high school students in solidarity.
Discontent in France also stems from rising fuel prices, exacerbated by the U.S.-led war in Iran, which is contributing to concerns about the cost of living. Online calls for a Yellow Jackets-style protest on Oct. 17 have emerged in response to these price increases.
"Last Friday, [the G7] decided to release strategic [fuel] reserves... As part of this effort, we will make 10 million barrels of diesel from our reserves available to distributors in France," Lecornu announced. He claimed this supply increase would lower diesel prices by €0.12 to €0.18 per liter.
France retains 8 million barrels of oil products for release under a deal brokered in March following the outbreak of the war in Iran. POLITICO reported earlier on Wednesday that France had privately signaled it might release an additional 2 million barrels of diesel on top of that commitment, though it remains unclear if the 10 million figure includes this potential addition. The French energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lecornu also addressed French farmers, who have frequently protested in recent years over economic hardships in the agricultural sector. "Among those hardest hit by the accumulation of these crises are our farmers," he said. New measures to supplement an existing emergency bill for farmers, which includes over €1 billion in spending, are scheduled to be unveiled on Thursday.
