About five lakh workers across France protested on 18 September 2025, against budget cuts planned for 2026.
The strike came on the heels of protests by about two lakh people the week before against the proposed budget. Aimed at reducing the country’s massive public debt of €44bn, which is reportedly equivalent to nearly €50,000 per citizen of the county, not only received flak but was the cause for the toppling of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou.
Thursday’s strike saw participation by teachers too in big numbers forcing schools to remain shut. Most pharmacies remained closed expressing their disapproval of the government’s plan to reduce public spending by €44 billion next year.
Bayrou had suggested freezing pensions, raising healthcare costs and eliminating two public holidays so that there was more economic activity. Instead of support, however, Bayrou’s budget plans were strongly opposed and led to him being overthrown after merely nine months in office.
The new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has yet to hold meetings and discussions in this regard. However, he has reportedly promised to do away with lifelong privileges granted tto prime ministers and also withdraw the proposal to reduce public holidays.
The citizens were already frustrated by the government’s imposition of higher fuel taxes in 2018, which were later removed following widespread protests. Then came pension reforms in 2023 that increased retirement age from 62 to 64, further fuelling frustration.
On 1 February, 2023, the French Labour Minister, Oliver Dussopt, had declared that the increase in retirement age to 64 was unalterable. This statement had come after over a million individuals took part in protests against the proposed measure, with a union representative calling for continued strikes. As per opinion polls, a significant majority in France had opposed the plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, which President Emmanuel Macron considered necessary for the sustainability of the pension system.
