Protesters disrupted transport networks and staged blockades across France on Thursday in a show of strength against ‘s plan to .
The action targeted the Paris Metro, regional rail lines and key roads, while demonstrations stretched from large cities to small towns.
In Paris and Marseille, police used tear gas to disperse early, unauthorised demonstrations.
Why are there strikes in France?
Major trade unions called the strikes to demand the government abandon proposed budget cuts, social welfare freezes and other measures they say will squeeze low- and middle-income workers. Unions argue the austerity plan will deepen economic pain that has already toppled previous governments attempting similar reforms.
“The aim is to show the government that we’re here, that we’re fed up with being taxed like crazy, that we’re fed up with having trouble making ends meet on the 15th of the month,” Samuel Gaillard, a garbage truck driver, told the French AFP news agency.
The protests mark a critical test for new , who was appointed last week and tasked with shepherding the cuts through parliament to reduce France’s mounting deficit and debt.
Police deployed about 80,000 officers nationwide, with some pre-dawn scuffles breaking out in Paris.
While high-speed trains largely operated, regional services and the Paris Metro faced significant disruptions. Schools, factories and other sectors of the EU’s second-largest economy were also affected. Airports reported only minor delays after air traffic controllers postponed their own strike call.
Thursday’s strikes, though short of total shutdown, again highlighted public resistance to austerity and underscored the challenge Lecornu faces in steering the government’s cost-cutting agenda through a restive parliament and an even more restless street.
Lecornu’s predecessor, Francois Bayrou, was ousted by parliament last week over his plan to slash €44 billion ($52 billion) from the budget in 2026.
Unions also continue to denounce , which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. Last week’s “Block Everything” campaign brought barricades, tear gas and burning debris to streets across the country.
Edited by Sean Sinico
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