France is bracing on Thursday, September 18th for a day of nationwide disruption aimed at President Emmanuel Macron’s budget policies. Unions have vowed mass protests. Some public transport looks set to be paralysed due to strikes, while officials warn of possible disturbances by extremist elements.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Macron’s seventh head of government, took office last week, vowing a break from the past against the background of an ongoing political crisis. However, the appointment of the former defence minister has failed to assuage the anger of unions and the Left.
The show of anger comes from those incensed by the draft €44 billion cost–saving budget of his predecessor François Bayrou, despite Lecornu’s pledges to abolish both the lifelong privileges of prime ministers and a widely detested plan to scrap two public holidays.
Strike action on Thursday will see around a third of teachers walk out, nine out of 10 pharmacies shuttered and severe disruption on the Paris Metro, where only the three driverless automated lines will work normally.
According to the General Secretary of Snes–FSU—the main union for middle and high school teachers—Sophie Venetitay
We feel that our colleagues were not fooled by the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu, which did not calm the anger.
