France wakes up to massive protests and strikes against budget cuts

France wakes up to another day of nationwide disruption on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join strikes and demonstrations against the government’s new austerity measures.

Eight major trade unions have called on citizens to take to the streets around the country against what they describe as “brutal” budget plans announced over the summer.

The collapse of François Bayrou’s government last week has not deterred union leaders, who maintain their call for mobilisation.

Authorities are bracing for one of the largest demonstrations since the pension reform protests two years ago. Intelligence services estimate between 600,000 and 900,000 people could take part nationwide, including up to 100,000 in Paris.

By 11 am, authorities had already counted more than 230 separate protest actions across the country, including blockades of bus warehouses and schools.

Around 10,000 people are taking part in these actions, according to outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who maintained that the actions were “less intense than expected”.

Nationwide, at least 58 people are arrested, according to Retailleau. In Paris, 11 people have been detained during early morning scuffles.

Travel in and around the French capital is already severely affected. Paris Metro and commuter trains run at reduced capacity, while regional services across the Paris region are heavily disrupted.

The national rail company SNCF says nine out of ten high-speed TGV train remain in service, but local TER lines are only operating at around 60%.

In schools, the walkout is widespread. A third of primary school teachers are on strike, according to unions. In secondary schools, nearly half of staff are staying away from classrooms.

The Snes-FSU union, representing middle schools and high schools, reported a 45% participation, denouncing poor working conditions, low pay and the “undermining of public education.”

On the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French overseas territory, 150,000 residents were temporarily left without water after valves were deliberately closed on a main distribution site, in what authorities describe as an act of sabotage.

The supply has since been restored, but a second attempted shutdown is reported on the same site.

Thousands of law enforcement officers deployed

Security forces are deployed in exceptional numbers. Around 80,000 police and gendarmes are mobilised across France, with a heavy presence in Paris.

Police chief Laurent Nuñez warned that hundreds or even thousands of violent far-left groups are preparing to infiltrate the union protests. He urged shopkeepers along the protest route to close their businesses and protect their storefronts.

Although newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu quickly scrapped one of the most unpopular proposals — eliminating two public holidays — he has not ruled out the rest.

These include an overhaul of unemployment benefits, delinking pensions from inflation, and raising out-of-pocket medical costs.

At the heart of the showdown are France’s fragile public finances. Last year’s deficit reached 5.8% of GDP, nearly double the EU ceiling of 3%, while national debt now stands at more than €3.3 trillion, roughly 114% of economic output.

Bayrou had argued that drastic cuts are unavoidable, putting forward a plan to slash €44 billion in spending by 2026.