Students protest and public sector workers strike ahead of French budget

By Lucien Libert and Jean-Stéphane Brosse

PARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - French ‌high school students blockaded ​dozens of schools ​and public sector workers went on strike on Tuesday, voicing discontent with planned budget cuts ahead of next year's presidential election.

Seven months before the election, and just two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity ‌of President Emmanuel Macron and his centre-right-leaning government.

The student protests have been gaining momentum over the past days, as pupils ⁠decry overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. The Education Ministry said more than 330 high schools — a bit less than 1 in 10 — were affected, French media reported.

Garbage containers were set ablaze outside ‌a school in Lille and riot police kept ‌watch over a student protest in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. About 40 protesters were arrested, Le Parisien said.

PROTEST BANNERS OUTSIDE SCHOOLS

A placard reading "Macron explosion" was displayed outside the Arago school in Paris, where students, some with their faces covered, sat on dumpsters to block the entrance. A banner ​in front of the Helene-Boucher school said "Fewer cops, More money".

"We want fewer police because we think there is a huge amount of police repression, both against high school student movements and social movements more generally," said Mael Breton, a final-year student at the Helene-Boucher school.

"This is a real problem, especially ⁠when there is such a lack of funding ... here at our school and in the national education system more broadly."

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned protests at high schools on Monday as irresponsible, but acknowledged that ​the "difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed".

BUDGET SAVINGS PLANNED

Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, gave the government 48 hours to reverse planned spending cuts in its draft budget before deciding on further strike action.

"This summer, who ​was on the front line? It wasn't the billionaires, the big bosses or the ‌shareholders. It was civil servants and working people. And how are they being thanked? By cutting their pay? The anger is enormous," she told BFMTV.

The government proposes freezing the base salaries of state employees in 2027 in a bid to save €2 ⁠billion in spending — the fourth consecutive annual freeze and the eighth during Macron's presidency, trade unions say. Unions argue the freezes have resulted in a double-digit loss of purchasing power.

Lecornu said this month the government planned a €54 billion savings drive in the budget. France's economy will grow less than expected this year, complicating efforts to stop the fiscal deficit ⁠spiralling out of control.

FIREFIGHTERS AND TEACHERS AMONG PROTESTERS

Professional firefighters, who say a lack of resources was laid bare during this summer's huge wildfires, were among those taking part in protest ​marches during the day.

Just over 11% of teachers and other school staff took part in the strike, the Education Ministry said. French teachers are paid less on average than colleagues in other European countries.

Fewer than 1 in 10 took part on average among other civil servants — and fewer again in hospitals — with losing a day's pay likely a ‌factor in the low turnout.

The French civil aviation regulator earlier warned of disruption to flights at some airports due to the strike.

The government has already unveiled measures to help households cope with a spike in energy prices driven by ‌the war with Iran, but it has failed to quell the discontent with Macron and his government.

Hard-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon accused the government of a steady dismantling of public ⁠services as he addressed protesters in Paris, urging his supporters ‌to mobilise against the government's draft budget plans.

A ​Toluna Harris opinion poll on Monday showed Melenchon and far-right National Rally chief Marine Le Pen qualifying for next year's presidential election runoff, with Le Pen seen best placed to win.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Jean-Stéphane Brosse, Mateusz Rabiega; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing ‌by Alison Williams)

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