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On September 18th, large-scale strikes and demonstrations broke out in many places in France, among which the Champs Elysé es and surrounding areas in Paris, the capital, became the focus of protests.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in this famous street, shouting for the government’s slogan for a “more fair” fiscal bill.
According to statistics from French government departments, A total of more than half a million people took part in the strike, with about 550,000 in Paris alone.
The demonstration was another massive protests in France recently against the government’s austerity plans.
On the same day, French workers in transportation, education, electricity, medicine and other industries responded to unions’ calls for strikes in different degrees., resulting in a serious impact on public services.
Public transportation in Paris has been hit, several subway, suburban fast train and bus services interrupted, attractions such as the Eiffel Tower closed, some pharmacies suspended, and some schools had to shut down.
Violence and destruction occurred in the demonstrations in cities such as Paris, Lyon and Rennes.
According to the French Interior Ministry, More than 300 people were arrested.
Paris police chief Nunes had previously said he was concerned about possible disruptors in the Paris march and called on Paris merchants to shut down their stores.
In the wake of the strike, Some of the famous cultural attractions, such as the Louvre and some of the Osiris museums, are also temporarily closed.The Arc de Triomphe, located at the western end of the Champs Elysé es, was also exceptionally closed on the same day.
The administrator posted a notice on its official website stating that “the monument is closed especially today due to industrial action” and compensated tourists for purchased tickets through automatic refunds.
The roots of this massive protest date back to July 2025. At the time, the French Prime Minister, Mr. Beirut, presented a draft budget for 2026 aimed at fiscal austerity.
The plan includes measures such as changing two public holidays into working days and cutting health insurance spending to ease the growing public debt pressure in France.
This proposal was immediately opposed by the French National Assembly and the French people. Beurou resigned on September 8 after losing a vote of confidence to the French National Assembly over fiscal policy.Defense Minister Le Corny was appointed new prime minister the next day.
Lecorny failed to quell public anger after taking office. On September 10th, some people who were dissatisfied with the fiscal austerity policy spontaneously launched a large-scale demonstration of "Blockade France" without trade union leadership.
According to French government statistics, Around 175,000 people participated in the protest.The strike and demonstration on September 18th was a large-scale national event organized by many trade unions such as the French Federation of Trade Unions, and its scale and influence far exceeded those before.
The Paris demonstration route started from Bastille Prison Square to Republic Square and eventually reached National Square. Police mobilized a large number of police forces for this purpose, including the deployment of Centaure armored vehicles in key locations such as National Square.
Reports show that tensions have arisen during the *, Police used tear gas in places such as Avenue Voltaire and Rue Charone,And adopted tactical adjustments for so-called "high-risk groups."
The main appeal of the strike and demonstration * organized by French trade unions is to oppose the government's fiscal austerity plan. Demand the withdrawal of the 2026 budget proposed by the Beirut government, increasing public service spending and imposing more taxes on the rich.
The latest poll shows that more than half of the French people support strikes and related demonstrations, with only 25 percent opposed.
French Prime Minister Le Clerc responded to the strikes and demonstrations that night via social media. He reiterated his continued commitment to dialogue with all sectors of society, and said that he would continue to consult with trade union representatives in the next few days.
He also condemned the violence against the police and thanked the police for their efforts to maintain social order.
The protests took place against the backdrop of France’s long-standing economic challenges as the euro area’s second-largest economy, which has struggled to cope with high public debt and deficits.
After the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, rising energy prices and global inflation aggravated these economic difficulties.The government has to take austerity measures, but these measures are inevitably strongly opposed by the people.
Representatives of major trade unions in France will meet at the headquarters of the French Federation of Trade Unions on the outskirts of Paris on September 19th to discuss the next action plan. According to French BFM TV, The unions differed on the next action plan, especially whether to reorganize the strike in the near future.
The demonstration reminds about 300,000 people of the demonstration that took place in Paris in 2014 to protest the same-sex marriage bill to be submitted to the Senate.
Some analysts also compared the protest to the massive demonstrations triggered by pension reform in 2023, when the Macron government forced the reform, The increase of the statutory retirement age for French people from 62 to 64 years has sparked widespread protests.
The challenge facing the French government is how to find a balance between fiscal responsibility and social fairness.
On the one hand, France needs to control the level of its public debt to ensure long-term economic stability; on the other hand, the government needs to respond to the demands of people for fairness and social justice, especially the desire of low- and middle-income groups to expect the rich to bear more tax burden.
The mass protests have had a significant impact not only on domestic politics in France, but could also have a demonstrative effect on other European countries.
Many European countries are now facing similar economic woes and policy choices。
The next few days will be a critical period. How the Le Corni government responds to the demands of trade unions and whether trade unions will organize more strikes will directly affect French political and social stability.
All around the world are closely watching how the crisis will develop and what long-term impacts it could have on France and Europe.
References:
Mass protests in France, more than 300 people arrested 2025-09-19 07:23 Source: New York Times
2. "French Prime Minister Bayrou arrives at the Elysee Palace to submit his resignation to President Macron" 2025-09-09 19:36 | Source: Beijing News
France mobilizes 80,000 police and gendarmes to respond to protest strike 2025-09-19 10:40
Macron appoints Defense Minister Le Corney as Prime Minister of France 2025-09-10 02:00 PM