The French government’s attempts to impose austerity have been met with mass protest that already threatens Macron’s new prime minister, reports John Rees

Hundreds of thousands took part in strike action and anti-austerity protests across France yesterday, 18 September.  They were aimed at President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Trade unions want the proposed budget cuts scrapped.

Teachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital staff were among those who went on strike as part of the day of protests, while teenagers blocked dozens of high schools for hours.

Protesters called for the previous government’s fiscal plans to be scrapped, for more spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy, and for the reversal of an unpopular change making people work longer to get a pension.

In Paris, police at one point threw tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Police said they also stepped in to stop people targeting a bank.

There were also brief clashes on the margins of some of the protests including in Nantes, with police firing tear gas, and in Lyon, where French media said three people were injured.

In France’s southern port city of Marseille, one of many protests nationwide, thousands set out from the city’s old port, singing the antifascist anthem ‘Bella ciao’ and holding placards demanding ‘tax the rich’.

More than 140 people have been arrested so far, the interior ministry said. Some 80,000 police and gendarmes were set to be deployed throughout the day, including riot units, drones and armoured vehicles.

France’s budget deficit last year was close to double the EU’s 3% ceiling, but much as he wants to reduce that, Lecornu, reliant on other parties to push through legislation, will face a battle to gather parliamentary support for a budget for 2026.

Lecornu’s predecessor, Francois Bayrou, was ousted by parliament last week over his plan for a 44 billion euro budget squeeze. The new prime minister has not yet said what he will do with Bayrou’s plans.

Jean Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise had this to say: ‘We will have a united left to vote on censure. So, Mr Lecornu’s fate rests on the (far-right) National Rally. So perhaps if he pays them well, if he provides seats for the National Assembly office, or things of that nature, he could have the National Rally’s support. But that’s not certain. Therefore, either he will hold a vote of confidence or we will table the motion of censure that we announced.’