Hundreds of thousands strike across France over costs

· Politics · France

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in cities across France on Thursday as five unions called a general strike over the cost of living and cuts to public services. The interior ministry estimated 600,000 protesters nationwide, while unions claimed close to 1.6 million. Police reported 448 arrests and 53 injured officers. Trade unions led more than 260 planned protests, demanding better public services, including education, and higher wages. The National Assembly had unanimously rejected the government's proposed 2027 budget. France deployed 70,000 police officers as the government sought to prevent a repeat of October unrest.

Why it matters：Sustained French unrest over wages and public services is testing the government's authority and could spread to other European economies facing similar pressures.

Key points

  • The interior ministry counted 600,000 protesters; unions claimed 1.6 million.
  • Police made 448 arrests and 53 officers were injured.
  • Lawmakers unanimously rejected the 2027 budget.

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day