France’s Breaking Point

France has entered a new wave of mass unrest. Protesters are blocking highways, students are shutting down schools, and unions are striking. The recent “Block Everything” movement is more than far-left ideology, rooted in the long tradition of the French Revolution. It is the result of a government looking for solvency, institutions trying to manage the fallout, and students defining their civic ideals.

President Macron ran on a platform of increased French competitiveness. He announced his vision to make France “the start-up nation” in a speech at the VivaTech conference. To lure investors, he cut corporate taxes and made it easier to hire and fire employees. But the investment never materialized, and France continued to spend on its welfare system. 

The country is now dealing with the effects of Macron’s strategy. According to the New York Times, France is now collecting about €50 billion less in taxes and has a 6 percent budget deficit, the largest since World War II and above the Eurozone’s 3 percent maximum requirement. Last year, France was officially reprimanded by the European Union, and since then, Macron has tried to take corrective action. Each prime minister Macron appoints suggests spending cuts, tax increases, and cutting national holidays, but soon after, protests lead Parliament to no-confidence votes.  

As deficits increase, the French government is prioritizing control of the streets over public support. By mid-September, police were using riot lines and tear gas against 800,000 protesters, The Guardian reported.  Le Monde reported injuries and excessive force against students, including a high school student in Paris who was prevented from entering his school and pushed up against a wall by police. A report published in 2025 by several human rights groups, Dropping Out of Democracy, concluded that “France is gradually dropping out of democracy by obstructing the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.”  

In the midst of this, France’s institutions are asserting their own power. Macron’s Parliament is outraged as he tries to bypass the legislature to make spending cuts. France 24, a state-owned news channel, reports that Parliament believes he is cutting them out of the democratic process. Macron believes the EU fiscal rules are a justification for his actions. The situation has already cost him four prime ministers in two years. Outside the government, trade unions have asserted themselves in the crisis. Reuters and Le Monde reported on October 2 that unions rallied more than 80,000 demonstrators in over 200 locations to protest welfare budget cuts that would lower the purchasing power of low-paid and middle-class workers. Instead, they are calling for a wealth tax on France’s richest households to close the deficit.    

From another corner, France’s newest generation is reshaping protest culture. Youth-driven media like TikTok have turned demonstrations into real-time, shareable political theater.  These platforms allow for faster, wider mobilization and more emotional story-telling. According to France 24, “young protesters, many of whom connected through social media, gathered at key roadblocks and city squares” during the September 10 “Block Everything” demonstration in Paris. On September 19, 14- and 15-year-olds joined the protests, sometimes marching ahead of unions and holding signs reading “F*** RN (the far-right National Rally party)” and “Macron president of the rich”. This new generation feels sidelined and distrustful of leaders. As student protests sweep France, young people everywhere, including Boston, can see how civic action can shape democracies.

France’s unrest is not about austerity. It is about the legitimacy of the government. It is a test of whether French democracy can survive pressure from the European Union, trade union resistance, and a new generation of disillusionment. The nation is caught between the goals of security, economic stability, and democracy.

Sources

Élysée Palace – “Speech by President Emmanuel Macron at VivaTech” (June 15, 2017)

France 24 – “‘Block Everything’: French Protest Movement Meets Heavy Police Response in Paris” (Sept. 10, 2025)

France 24 – “France Protests and Strikes Over Budget Cuts Continue to Test Macron and Lecornu” (Sept. 18, 2025)

France 24 – “How Did France’s Government Impose Its Pension Reform?” (Mar. 16, 2023)

The Guardian – “French Strikes Paralyze Cities as PM Sébastien Lecornu Faces Political Test” (Sept. 18, 2025)

Le Monde (English Edition) – “‘Get Up or I’ll Smash You’: French Police Violence Mars September 10 and 18 Protests” (Sept. 29, 2025)

Le Monde (English Edition) – “France Sees Nationwide Strikes Against Austerity Measures” (Oct. 2, 2025)

The New York Times – “France’s Government Collapse Deepens Economic Strain” (Sept. 7, 2025)

Reuters – “France Faces More Protests Against Looming Budget Cuts” (Oct. 2, 2025)

Reuters – “Inside Macron’s Pitch Meeting with Wall Street as Budget Woes Mount” (Oct. 4, 2024)