Key facts
- French high school students blockaded schools on Tuesday to protest planned budget cuts.
- Public sector workers, including civil servants and firefighters, also went on strike.
- The protests are occurring ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
- The government is preparing to unveil its 2027 budget draft.
- Opinion polls show deep unpopularity for President Emmanuel Macron's government.
- Up to 1 in 10 high school entrances were blockaded in Paris, according to French media.
Dozens of French high school students blockaded schools and public sector workers went on strike on Tuesday to protest planned budget cuts. The demonstrations come ahead of the 2027 presidential election and as the government prepares to unveil its budget draft, with polls showing President Emmanuel Macron's government is deeply unpopular.
Seven months before the election and two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of France's centre-right government and of President Emmanuel Macron. There were no official figures yet on how many teachers and other civil servants were on strike, with limited disruption reported on public transport in the morning. Healthcare workers were expected to join 170 rallies across the country later.
The student protests have been gaining momentum over the past days. TV images showed garbage containers on fire outside a high school in Lille on Tuesday. Newspaper Le Progres reported clashes between police and pupils outside a school in Lyon, with tensions also reported outside schools in Nice. Up to 1 in 10 high school entrances were blockaded in Paris, according to French media. A placard reading "Macron explosion" was displayed in front of the Arago school in Paris, where students sat and stood on dumpsters to block the entrance. A banner at the Helene-Boucher school read "Fewer cops, More money".
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned protests at high schools as irresponsible, but acknowledged that "difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed". France's economy is expected to grow less than anticipated this year, complicating the minority government's task of passing its 2027 budget amid a planned €54 billion savings drive. Teachers, firefighters, and other civil servants are demanding better working conditions and salary increases, with French teachers paid less on average than their European counterparts. The French civilian aviation regulator warned of potential flight disruptions.
CGT union leader Sophie Binet stated that civil servants and working people were being thanked for their efforts with pay cuts, leading to enormous anger. Far-right National Rally chief Marine Le Pen and hard-left France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon are seen as likely to qualify for the presidential election runoff.