Mass Strikes Sweep France as Workers Protest Budget Cut Plans

France witnessed widespread disruption on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of workers joined a nationwide strike against government budget cuts. Trade unions had called for a day of mass protests, and the interior ministry estimated that between 600,000 and 900,000 people would take to the streets. To maintain order, authorities deployed 80,000 police officers across the country.

Clashes broke out in several cities, including Lyon and Nantes, where police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators. By mid-afternoon, more than 110 people had been detained, according to French media reports.

The strikes come at a politically sensitive moment, only a week after Sébastien Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of François Bayrou’s short-lived government. Bayrou’s budget proposal, which aimed to cut €44 billion from public spending to reduce debt, was rejected by parliament and ultimately cost him his position.

On Thursday, daily life in France was heavily affected. Public transport faced severe disruption, with metro services in Paris largely shut down. Protesters also blocked major roads, while students barricaded schools and universities. Around one-third of teachers participated in the strike, and nearly all pharmacies—98%—remained closed.

Union leaders demanded increased funding for public services and higher taxes on the wealthy instead of the proposed cuts. Sophie Binet of the CGT trade union emphasized that the strikes showed collective strength, while IT worker Cyrielle, participating in a Paris protest, expressed frustration with Macron’s economic approach and urged more progressive policies.

Outgoing interior minister Bruno Retailleau warned that police would act swiftly against violence, while left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged protesters to remain disciplined to prevent unrest. Authorities had already asked businesses in central Paris to remain shut amid fears of escalation.

New Prime Minister Lecornu, who has yet to form his cabinet, has not ruled out the spending cuts but has opened negotiations with opposition groups to find a compromise. His position remains precarious in a divided parliament, and like his predecessors Barnier and Bayrou, he faces the challenge of reconciling mounting public debt—now nearly €50,000 per citizen—with fierce resistance to austerity.