On October 17, 2026, large-scale nationwide protests took place in France against the rising cost of living, increasing fuel prices, and cuts in funding for public services. According to the country’s Ministry of the Interior, approximately 550,000 people took part in the demonstrations, while organizers estimate the number of participants at 800,000, Reuters and the French newspaper Le Monde report.
A total of 110 demonstrations took place across the country. In Paris alone, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, approximately 110,000 people took to the streets. The protests also spread to Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and other major cities.
The participants’ main demands included higher wages and pensions, measures to curb food and energy prices, increased funding for education and healthcare, and the preservation of social guarantees.
Trade unions, student organizations, representatives of farmers’ associations, transport sector workers, and activists from the “yellow vests” movement, which emerged in France in 2018 due to rising fuel prices, joined the demonstrations.
The current wave of protests began in September with student demonstrations against teacher shortages, the poor condition of educational institutions, and insufficient government funding for education. Subsequently, the demands expanded to include issues of purchasing power, social inequality, and the government’s economic policy.
Despite the predominantly peaceful nature of the demonstrations, clashes with police, vehicle arson, vandalism and looting of shops, and attacks on administrative buildings occurred in several cities.
In Paris, the most tense situation was observed near Place de la République, where some groups of rioters threw stones and pyrotechnic devices at police officers. Law enforcement officers used tear gas and water cannons. There were also reports of shops being looted and bank branches being damaged.
In Marseille, a group of protesters entered the city council building; in Lyon, a tourist office was set on fire; and in Limoges, a fire damaged the town hall building. Incidents involving damage to administrative buildings were also recorded in other cities.
According to preliminary data from the French Ministry of the Interior, police detained approximately 400 people. Authorities reported injuries among law enforcement officers and civilians. A separate investigation was launched following the serious injury of a minor participating in a protest in Saint-Étienne.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence and stated the need to hold those responsible accountable. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu emphasized that the government would not allow the unrest to be used to exert pressure on state institutions.
At the same time, protest organizers emphasize that the overwhelming majority of participants demonstrated peacefully and demanded a revision of the state’s socioeconomic policy.
The mass demonstrations are taking place against the backdrop of a difficult situation in France’s public finances. According to the draft state budget for 2027 presented on October 1, the government plans to reduce the deficit from a projected 5.4% of GDP in 2026 to 5% of GDP in 2027.
To achieve this goal, overall fiscal consolidation measures totaling €54 billion are envisaged, including €43 billion within the framework of the draft laws on the state budget and the financing of the social security system.
At the same time, the government forecasts a slowdown in France’s economic growth to 0.5% in 2026, with a possible acceleration to 1% in 2027. Public debt servicing costs could rise from €79.2 billion in 2026 to €91.2 billion the following year.
Trade unions fear that measures to limit public spending will increase the burden on households, primarily those with low and middle incomes.
The protests have already caused disruptions to urban public transport, the temporary closure of certain Paris Metro stations, and damage to commercial properties. A final assessment of the economic damage caused by the unrest has not yet been released.
The new wave of social discontent is increasing political tensions in France ahead of the 2027 presidential election and complicating discussions on fiscal policy. Further developments will depend, among other things, on negotiations between the government, trade unions, and representatives of the student movement.
France is the second-largest economy in the eurozone after Germany and one of Ukraine’s largest trade and economic partners in the European Union.
