Large-scale protests and strikes are under way across France against proposed national budget cuts, with trade unions staging action across schools, transport, healthcare and other public services.
Demonstrations are taking place across France today, 18 September, amid ongoing negotiations over the 2026 budget and a wider political stand-off in Paris. Authorities have deployed extensive security measures, with disruption expected on national rail and urban transport networks, and in schools and hospitals.
The mobilisation follows weeks of mounting tension over fiscal consolidation plans and comes against the backdrop of a fragmented National Assembly and recent changes in government. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed earlier this month, is seeking cross-party support for the budget after the rejection of earlier proposals that targeted savings estimated at €44 billion. The Socialists and other opposition groups have pressed for revisions, including measures on purchasing power and taxation of high net-worth individuals, in exchange for any support in parliamentary votes.
Unions say the cuts would hit public services and public-sector workers, and have urged the government to reconsider its approach. Organisers expect hundreds of thousands to join marches across more than 250 declared locations, with strike participation announced by teachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital staff. The action builds on earlier “Block Everything” demonstrations and marks the most significant nationwide mobilisation since the pension reform protests.
The government argues that budget adjustment is necessary to address a deficit that, in 2024, was close to twice the European Union’s 3% of GDP reference value, and to stabilise a debt ratio exceeding 110% of GDP. The fiscal consolidation path remains contested inside the governing camp and among opposition parties, complicating the timetable for finalising the 2026 draft budget and heightening the risk of censure motions in the Assembly.
Developments in Paris are being closely watched in Brussels and by euro area finance ministries. France’s stance will influence Council discussions on the implementation of the reformed EU fiscal framework and the pace of national adjustment plans. A prolonged domestic stand-off could affect France’s position in debates on economic governance, solidarity instruments, and the financing of EU-level programmes in the next multi-annual cycle. Market participants are also alert to the potential impact on France’s sovereign borrowing costs and on wider euro zone spreads if uncertainty persists.
A central point of contention is the balance between expenditure restraint and revenue measures. Opposition parties, led by the Socialists, have floated the introduction of a wealth tax focused on very high net-worth individuals, while signalling readiness to resist reductions in public-service budgets. The government has indicated openness to compromise but faces limits set by allied parties and by concerns over competitiveness and capital flight. The political arithmetic in the Assembly, where no bloc holds an outright majority, increases the leverage of smaller parties in shaping the final text.
Operationally, today’s action is expected to cause interruptions on regional and commuter rail, in metropolitan transport, and in schooling, with localised effects on health services. Interior authorities have prepared additional deployments to manage marches and to respond to potential blockades. Earlier demonstrations saw isolated arrests and clashes; organisers say they intend peaceful rallies, while police have warned against attempts to obstruct transport infrastructure.
The timetable is tight. The government aims to table the draft budget in early October, with committee scrutiny and votes through the autumn. Any defeat on a budget confidence vote could trigger a political crisis and force recourse to constitutional mechanisms, further complicating France’s calendar for submitting medium-term fiscal plans to the European Commission. The scale and duration of today’s protests will shape calculations on both sides as negotiators assess the scope for revisions to the consolidation package.
For EU partners, the outcome will signal France’s approach to the balance between fiscal adjustment and public-investment protection, including co-financing commitments linked to EU programmes. It will also feed into discussions on coordinating budget positions ahead of year-end Council meetings. If the government and opposition reach a compromise that preserves headline targets while adjusting the policy mix, domestic tensions could ease. If not, recurrent mobilisation and repeated parliamentary hurdles may prolong uncertainty into the budget season, with knock-on effects for France’s role in EU economic deliberations.
