France found itself at a crossroads on September 18, 2025, as hundreds of thousands took to the streets in a sweeping wave of strikes and demonstrations, protesting government plans to slash public spending. The unrest, which disrupted daily life in Paris and rippled through cities large and small, was the latest eruption in a country grappling with mounting debt, political gridlock, and an electorate deeply divided over the future of its cherished public services.
Strikes hobbled the Paris Metro, left roads blocked in major cities, and even shuttered nearly every pharmacy in the nation. The protests, called by a coalition of trade unions and grassroots movements, brought together a strikingly broad cross-section of French society: hospital nurses, transportation workers, teachers, students, and civil servants, all united by a sense that the government’s proposed austerity measures would hit the most vulnerable the hardest.
“Fed up. Really, really fed up,” said Aya Touré, a hospital nurse marching with thousands in Paris, according to the Associated Press. “Those people governing us, they have no clue about real-life issues. We are paying the price.”
The trigger for this latest crisis was the unveiling of a budget plan by former Prime Minister François Bayrou, which aimed to cut €44 billion from public spending to rein in France’s ballooning debt—now estimated at nearly €50,000 per citizen, as reported by BBC. The proposal proved so unpopular that Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly, toppling his government and setting the stage for the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu as the new prime minister just a week before the protests erupted.
Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has been thrust into a political maelstrom. Not only does he face a hung parliament, split into three fiercely opposed blocs, but he also inherits a public deeply skeptical of further belt-tightening. His first days in office were marked by fiery demonstrations and urgent talks with opposition parties and labor unions, seeking a way out of the impasse.
The numbers on the streets were staggering. Organizers claimed more than a million protesters nationwide, while the Interior Ministry put the figure at 500,000. Police deployed in force—some 80,000 officers across the country—to keep order. In Paris alone, police estimated 55,000 marched, while unions said the figure was much higher. The day saw 181 arrests in the capital and more than 300 across France, according to official tallies.
The mood was tense, at times erupting into violence. In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, riot police used tear gas and shields to disperse crowds after some protesters damaged buildings and businesses. Early in the morning, police broke up a blockade at a Paris bus depot, and later, striking rail workers briefly entered the headquarters of the Economics Ministry, leaving trails of smoke in their wake. Sporadic clashes broke out elsewhere, with projectiles hurled at officers and barricades set alight.
“Every time there’s a protest, it feels like daily life is held hostage,” said Nathalie Laurent, an office worker navigating Metro disruptions, as quoted by the Associated Press. “Lecornu—he’s only just started, but if this is his idea of stability, then he has a long way to go.”
The strikes were felt across nearly every sector. Public transport was heavily disrupted, with most Metro lines shut outside rush hour and only automated trains running reliably. National rail service SNCF reported only minor delays on high-speed trains, but the impact was keenly felt by commuters. Students blocked entrances to schools and universities, chanting slogans and waving banners warning of a future under threat. About one-third of teachers joined the walkout, and an astonishing 98% of pharmacies were expected to remain closed.
For many, the protests were about more than just numbers on a balance sheet. They were a defense of the French social model—free schools, public hospitals, subsidized health care, and generous unemployment benefits—that many see as under siege. “There’s already no money for soaps in the toilets, no money to fix a seat when it’s broken,” said Clara Simon, a history student in Paris. “I’m angry because the economic and social situation in France is deteriorating every year.”
Left-wing parties and their supporters have called for an entirely different approach: raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations rather than cutting services. Placards in Paris read “Tax the rich,” and union leaders echoed the demand. “We need to find money where there’s money,” said Pierre Courois, a retired civil servant. “France’s deficit is an issue, but it’s not by cutting on public services that you fix it.”
Sophie Binet, leader of the powerful General Confederation of Labour (CGT), told BBC: “We need to be out in force, that’s how we gather strength to keep fighting... to force the government and the employers to put an end to policies that only serve the richest.”
But the government, facing a debt crisis and a restive parliament, insists that some level of austerity is unavoidable. Lecornu has already scrapped the most unpopular measures—such as eliminating two public holidays—but has stopped short of renouncing the cuts altogether. His efforts to build consensus have so far met with little success, and the political risks are clear: his two predecessors, Bayrou and Michel Barnier, both fell over similar budget battles.
“Bringing in Lecornu doesn’t change anything—he’s just another man in a suit who will follow Macron’s line,” said Juliette Martin, a 22-year-old student, to the Associated Press. The skepticism is palpable, and many on the streets see the government’s efforts as little more than window dressing.
Meanwhile, calls for discipline and restraint came from across the political spectrum. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left France Unbowed party, urged protesters to avoid violence, warning that “any violent actions would only serve one person—Mr Retailleau,” referring to the outgoing interior minister. Authorities, for their part, were uncompromising: “We will be uncompromising and relentless,” Bruno Retailleau stated, adding that police had instructions to make arrests “as soon as there is the slightest slip-up.”
The “Block Everything” movement, which organized a major protest the previous week, continued to gain traction online and on the ground, fueling a sense of crisis and momentum among Macron’s critics. The collapse of successive governments over budget disputes has only deepened the sense of instability.
As the dust settled, the country remained deeply divided. “Of course, we’d like more stability in government, but whether it’s Lecornu or someone else, we want workers to be truly taken into account,” trade unionist Alexandre Dubois told BBC. “And we need to move away from this logic of short-term economic performance.”
With parliament deadlocked and public anger simmering, France’s leaders face an unenviable task: balancing fiscal responsibility with social cohesion, all under the watchful eyes of a nation that has shown, once again, it will not suffer in silence.
