French Students Blockade Schools and Public Workers Strike as Government Prepares Budget Cuts

French high school students blockaded dozens of schools across the country on Tuesday while public sector workers, including firefighters and teachers, staged strikes to protest planned budget cuts, just two days before the government is set to unveil its draft 2027 spending plan.

The demonstrations, which took place seven months ahead of France's next presidential election, reflect mounting frustration with President Emmanuel Macron and his centre-right administration. Opinion polls have consistently shown deep public dissatisfaction with the government's direction, and Tuesday's actions appeared designed to intensify pressure on officials before the budget proposal becomes public.

According to the Ministry of National Education, more than 330 high schools — nearly one in ten nationwide — were affected by the protests. Students have been rallying in growing numbers in recent days over overcrowded classrooms and persistent teacher shortages, issues that have fuelled anger throughout the education system.

The day's events turned confrontational in several locations. Authorities reported 40 arrests and 10 injuries among students and staff. In one secondary school in the Paris suburbs, teachers formed a protective line around protesting students, attempting to shield them from police intervention.

In Lille, in northern France, masked pupils gathered outside Lycee Cesar Baggio and set rubbish bins alight, according to the AFP news agency. Bus shelters and advertising billboards were damaged, and demonstrators threw bottles, paving stones, and other objects at police officers, who responded with tear gas.

In the western city of Nantes, teenagers stacked dozens of bins to block entry to Lycee Gabriel Guist'hau. In Paris, a tense standoff unfolded between roughly 30 students and a group of police officers outside the Arago school. Similar clashes were reported in Marseille in the south, Bordeaux in the west, and Lyon in the southeast.

Professional firefighters also joined marches in several cities, arguing that this summer's massive wildfires exposed dangerous gaps in resources and funding. Their participation added a new dimension to the protests, highlighting concerns that extend beyond education into broader public safety.

The Education Ministry said approximately 11 percent of teachers and school staff participated in the strike. French teachers are paid less on average than many of their European counterparts, a longstanding grievance that has become more acute as budget pressures mount.

Participation among other civil servants remained below one in ten, with even fewer hospital staff stopping work. The loss of a day's pay weighed heavily on turnout, suggesting that while dissatisfaction is widespread, many workers are reluctant to sacrifice income amid economic uncertainty.

Civil aviation authorities warned of potential flight disruptions at some airports, signalling that the strike's effects could ripple beyond the education and public sectors.

CGT union leader Sophie Binet issued a sharp ultimatum to the government, giving it 48 hours to withdraw the planned cuts. She denounced what she described as a fourth consecutive annual freeze in state employees' base pay, part of a 2-billion-euro ($2.2bn) savings push within a broader 54-billion-euro ($61bn) austerity drive.

The proposed pay freeze would mark the fourth consecutive year and the eighth during Macron's presidency that state employees' base salaries have been frozen, according to trade unions. Union leaders argue that repeated freezes have eroded the purchasing power of public workers and contributed to staffing shortages across essential services.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the hard-left presidential contender, addressed protesters in Paris and accused the government of steadily dismantling public services. He urged his supporters to mobilise against the draft budget plans, framing the moment as a critical opportunity to push back against austerity ahead of the election.

The timing of the protests is significant. With the presidential vote just seven months away, the government faces the delicate task of reducing spending while avoiding a broader social explosion. France has a long history of mass protests derailing proposed reforms, and the current wave of discontent carries political risks for the ruling party.

The draft 2027 budget, due Thursday, will be closely scrutinised by unions, students, and opposition figures alike. If the government proceeds with the pay freeze and other cuts, further strikes and demonstrations appear likely. Binet's 48-hour deadline suggests that union leaders are prepared to escalate if their demands are not met.

For now, the standoff between the government and a restless public sector continues to deepen. With classrooms blockaded, firefighters on the march, and opposition figures rallying crowds, the coming days will test whether Macron's administration can hold its fiscal line — or whether it will be forced to retreat in the face of mounting pressure.