ISTANBUL
France braces for renewed strikes on Thursday after main trade unions and left-wing opposition parties called for a nationwide strike aimed at influencing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's budget decisions.
The Interior Ministry said 195,000 people joined demonstrations across the country, including 24,000 in Paris. In contrast, the General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT) claimed nearly 600,000 people took part nationwide.
Nationwide strikes set off with 76,000 police officers and gendarmes deployed across the country, with 5,000 in Paris.
In the early hours, around 20 people attempted a blockade in Lyon, which was quickly dispersed, resulting in two arrests, according to the broadcaster BFM TV.
According to prefectures, 4,000 people rallied in Marseille, compared to 15,000 on Sept. 18, and 6,000 in Rennes, down from 11,500 previously.
In Paris, turnout also fell, with 24,000 demonstrators compared to 55,000 last month.
There were reported blockades at high schools in Bordeaux and Montpellier.
In Bordeaux, several hundred high school students blocked a school in the west of the city, chanting: "Macron resign."
Several processions also set off from Marseille, Nantes, and Saint-Nazaire.
The Snes-FSU, the leading secondary school union, recorded a 27% strike in middle and high schools, while according to figures from the Education Ministry, 6.42% of teachers are on strike.
The ministry also recorded "up to seven complete blockades" of high schools and "40 disruptions" in France.
France’s main trade unions and left-wing opposition parties had called for a nationwide strike on Oct. 2 after a tense meeting with Lecornu, who, according to them, failed to meet their demands regarding budget proposals.
The La France Insoumise (LFI) parliamentary group declared that “Sebastien Lecornu must be censored,” urging other left-wing groups to sign a joint motion of censure. LFI said the motion will be moved at the opening of the parliamentary session.
The Communist Party, Socialist Party, LFI, and the Ecologists announced on BFMTV that they would join the strike call.
The renewed strikes came after 1 million people took part in the Oct. 18 nationwide protests, fueled by trade unions and the “Block Everything” mobilization which drew nearly 197,000 people nationwide.
Political tensions over justice and budget
Former Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti warned of “a security drift” under Lecornu’s government.
“If the executive tries to take control of justice, we are moving from democracy to totalitarianism,” he said.
Current Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin responded through the US social media company X, saying: “The security of the French people is indeed my absolute priority. To this end, I am firmly restoring order, without naivety or excess, to the functioning of our justice system and our prisons.”
At the same time, government sources told BFM TV that the wealthiest individuals and businesses will be asked to contribute to the 2026 budget.
While ruling out a “Zucman tax,” officials said the effort will target those with very high incomes and assets, without undermining investment capacity.
President Emmanuel Macron defended Lecornu’s cautious approach in forming his government.
“He is right to take the time, while respecting all political forces,” Macron said, urging confidence in the new prime minister.
Eric Ciotti, the leader of the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) deputies, and Marine Le Pen denounced the planned taxation of the richest.
“Taxing the tool of work, it’s madness,” Ciotti told TF1, accusing the government of pursuing “a far-left ideology.”
He warned that such measures would drive wealthy taxpayers and investors out of France.
