France is currently witnessing one of its largest protest movements in years, triggered by austerity measures linked to the 2026 budget. On September 13, 2025, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed after the fall of François Bayrou’s government, announced his intention to push forward with deficit-reduction plans. Although he dropped the controversial proposal to eliminate two public holidays, the unions and a large segment of the population insisted that the wider package of spending cuts still unfairly targeted public workers, retirees, and students while sparing the wealthiest. This announcement set the stage for nationwide unrest.
On September 18, 2025, France experienced its first massive wave of demonstrations under Lecornu’s leadership. Major trade unions, including the CGT and CFDT, led the mobilization alongside the student-driven “Bloquons Tout” movement, which translates to “Block Everything.” Striking sectors ranged from public transport and education to healthcare and pharmacies. The central aim was to halt daily life across the country in order to force the government to reconsider its austerity program.
Participation levels reflected the seriousness of the discontent. Union sources claimed that over one million people marched across France on September 18, while the Interior Ministry reported closer to 500,000—still a strikingly large figure. Paris alone saw more than 55,000 demonstrators. The strikes and marches caused widespread disruptions: metro and commuter train services were heavily reduced, highways and city streets blocked, schools and universities closed, and many pharmacies shuttered their doors. For many participants, these disruptions were framed as acts of necessary resistance rather than mere inconveniences.
Despite the generally peaceful nature of most marches, several cities saw outbreaks of violence on September 18. In Paris’s 11th arrondissement, clashes broke out after small groups threw projectiles at security forces, prompting riot police to respond with tear gas. Similar tensions were reported in Lyon, Nantes, and Marseille, where barricades were set alight and sporadic vandalism damaged public property. By late evening, authorities confirmed that around 140–180 people had been arrested nationwide, with dozens remaining in custody.
Politically, the demonstrations have left Prime Minister Lecornu in an extremely fragile position just weeks into his tenure. With no clear parliamentary majority, his government already struggles to secure backing for its fiscal program. The protests came only days after France’s credit rating was downgraded on September 12, 2025, reflecting doubts about its ability to control public finances. President Emmanuel Macron, already weakened by previous crises, now faces the twin challenge of maintaining credibility with international markets while addressing mounting domestic anger.
Looking ahead, unions have given the government until September 24, 2025, to provide concrete responses. They are demanding wealth taxation and corporate contributions in place of cuts to essential public services. If these conditions are not met, union leaders have vowed to escalate their mobilization, warning of fresh waves of demonstrations and strikes in late September and October. Observers caution that unless significant concessions are made, France may face prolonged instability and a deepening political crisis in the final months of 2025.
