# Hundreds of thousands strike across France as unions press Macron and Lecornu
Mass anti-austerity protests and labour strikes took place across France, with unions saying one million people took part and the authorities estimating the number at 500,000.
The France 24 report says the protests were aimed at President Emmanuel Macron's austerity policies and at his new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, who is under pressure to put together a budget for next year. The demonstrations were broad-based, involving teachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital staff, while teenagers blocked dozens of high schools.
The scale of the protest matters because it signals resistance not just to one budget line but to a wider political direction. Protesters and unions called for public-service spending, higher taxes on the wealthy, and the reversal of pension changes that force people to work longer. That puts the dispute squarely at the intersection of economics, social policy and political legitimacy.
Union leaders framed the day as a warning. CGT head Sophie Binet said “the anger is immense” and argued that the streets should decide the budget. Marylise Leon of the CFDT called it a clear warning to Lecornu and demanded a socially fair budget. Those comments show the unions are not merely protesting; they are trying to shape the government's bargaining position.
The government, meanwhile, is navigating a fractured parliament and a tight fiscal situation. France's budget deficit last year was close to double the EU's 3% ceiling, and Lecornu faces the task of assembling support for a 2026 budget without a stable majority. That makes every strike and every concession politically consequential.
There were clashes at the margins. Police used tear gas in Paris to disperse black-clad troublemakers, and officials said more than 180 people were arrested across the country. Still, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that in almost all cases marches and demonstrations took place under favourable conditions, indicating that the day did not descend into widespread violence.
The strike also highlighted service disruptions. Regional trains were heavily affected, while most high-speed TGV lines remained in operation. One in three primary school teachers was on strike nationwide, and nearly one in two in Paris walked off the job, according to the FSU-SNUipp union.
The broader political context is that Lecornu's predecessor, François Bayrou, was ousted over a proposed 44 billion euro budget squeeze. Lecornu has signalled a willingness to compromise, but he remains boxed in by investors on one side and protesters on the other.
That is why the size of the demonstrations matters beyond the numbers themselves. France is not simply experiencing a one-day labour dispute. It is facing a test of how far a new prime minister can go in building support for budget restraint without provoking a deeper social backlash.
For now, the core facts are clear: hundreds of thousands took to the streets, unions claimed a turnout of one million, authorities said 500,000, and the target was the government's austerity agenda. The next question is whether Lecornu has enough room to change course.
