Strikes and protests across France, Macron government under press

Nationwide strikes and protests against the French government's budget cuts and austerity policies began early Tuesday (September 18). Public life has been severely disrupted in major cities including the capital Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nantes, Rennes, Montpellier, Bordeaux and Toulouse.

Teachers, train drivers, hospital workers, pharmacists and farmers have joined the movement. In addition, school and college students have blocked entrances.

Labor unions say that the proposal to cut public service costs and work long hours to receive pensions is completely unfair.

They demand that taxes on the rich be increased and the budget for public services be increased.

Sophie Binnet, head of the CGT union, said that the movement will continue until the workers' demands are met. According to her, the budget decision will be made on the streets.

Many metro lines in Paris were closed since morning. Train services were disrupted and school entrances were closed. In Marseille, a main road was blocked by burning rubbish, in Lyon by burning rubbish. In Nantes, a motorway was blocked, a bus was set on fire in Rennes, and police used tear gas to block a roundabout in Montpellier. Train services were disrupted in Bordeaux and Toulouse and several roads were closed.

The education and health sectors were also affected. One in three primary school teachers took part in the strike.

A survey by the pharmacy union found that around 98 percent of pharmacies were closed for the day.

State-owned electricity company EDF said that production at the Flamanville nuclear reactor had been cut by around 1.1 gigawatts in the early hours of the morning.

France's economy is currently suffering from a large budget deficit. Last year's deficit was almost double the European Union's limit. New Prime Minister Sebastien Le Cornouaille is trying to pass a 2026 budget, but this is difficult because he lacks a majority in parliament. His predecessor, François Bayrou, was ousted after losing a confidence vote in parliament over his €44 billion austerity plan.

The French Interior Ministry said that about 800,000 people took part in the strikes and protests. 80,000 police and gendarmerie have been deployed across the country to control the situation.

The country's Interior Minister Bruno Retail said that at least 8,000 protesters could try to cause chaos. Riot police, armored vehicles and drones have been used for this.

The movement across France has become not only an economic discontent, but also a major political challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's government. Unions have said that the future of the government's budget will be determined on the streets until their demands are met.

It is worth noting that the movement against the French government's budget cuts and austerity policies has grown in several stages. The 'Bloquons Tout' (Block Everything) ideological movement, which spread on social media, has been active since mid-2025. It was visible on the streets in early September. The first major unrest was on September 10, 2025, with highway blockades, barricades being set ablaze, and clashes with police. The unions then united and called for a nationwide strike and protest for September 18, 2025.