After Riots and Protests, French Workers Are Going on Strike

Live updates

1. 42m ago

   French unions stage nationwide strikes as budget standoff deepens

   Hundreds of thousands of workers, students and pensioners marched across France on Thursday in coordinated strikes and demonstrations demanding higher wages and action on living costs. The Interior Ministry counted more than 600,000 participants while the CGT union claimed nearly 1.6 million people joined over 200 protests nationwide. Transport, education and public-sector staff walked off the job, disrupting trains, schools and government services. Police clashed with protesters in Lyon. The mobilization follows October unrest and comes as President Emmanuel Macron's government struggles to pass a contested budget without a parliamentary majority.

   Why it matters

   France has been rocked by successive waves of social unrest since October, driven by inflation, stagnant wages and opposition to Macron's pension and budget reforms. Unions have now unified across sectors, broadening the pressure beyond the earlier student-led protests. The government faces a constitutional deadline to pass the 2027 budget, but lacks a majority in the National Assembly, raising the risk of a no-confidence vote or the use of special powers to force the bill through.

   What is confirmed

   • The Interior Ministry said more than 600,000 people demonstrated nationwide on Thursday.
   • The CGT union reported nearly 1.6 million participants across more than 200 demonstrations.
   • Government workers, teachers and transport employees walked off the job, disrupting services.
   • Police clashed with protesters in Lyon during the demonstrations.
   • The strikes come as Macron's government tries to pass a contested 2027 budget without a parliamentary majority.

   Still unconfirmed

   • This could be the largest day of protests in France in years, per live CNN updates.

   What to watch next

   • Whether the government invokes Article 49.3 to force the budget through without a vote
   • If unions call for rolling strikes or a general strike in the coming weeks
   • Parliamentary debate on the budget bill and potential no-confidence motions
   Sources used for this update (23)

   1. www.nytimes.com — The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos
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   8. The New York Times — First, France Had Riots and Protests. Now It’s Bracing for a General Strike.
   9. The Guardian — Protesters to join nationwide march as France braces for day of strike action
   10. Reuters — France faces new protests as Macron seeks to prevent repeat of October unrest
   11. Bloomberg.com — France Faces Fresh Protests With Budget Impasse Deepening
   12. BBC — France gears up for strikes and protests as unions promise national mobilisation
   confidence 92%