French unions join student protests as tens of thousands take to the streets
Nationwide protests in France uniting students and trade unions demand better school funding and more teachers, while the unrest deepens the country's political crisis.
France is experiencing nationwide protests in which students and trade unions are demanding solutions to school funding shortfalls, teacher shortages, and poor learning conditions. The protests began in late September in the suburbs of Paris and quickly spread across the country.
On Tuesday, tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people took to the streets. One of the country's largest unions, CGT, reported that more than 260,000 people had taken part in the demonstrations — a figure that does not include Paris, where a march was due to begin later on Tuesday, according to Le Monde.
Political dimension
Left-wing populist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called on his supporters to join Tuesday's nationwide actions. He said the country was experiencing its strongest movement among secondary and higher education students since May 1968, referring to the large-scale protests nearly 60 years ago that ultimately transformed French society. According to Mélenchon, austerity policies and budget cuts have pushed the education system, as well as public services more broadly, to the brink of collapse.
Mélenchon's political rivals accuse him of using harsh rhetoric that they say inflames the tense political situation and provokes violence. The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that the government and intelligence services share the view that Mélenchon's party and its allies have helped fuel the protest movement. The 75-year-old Mélenchon rejected the government's accusations as absurd and in turn accused police of using excessive force.
The latest protests are deepening France's political crisis. Mélenchon sees the unrest as an opportunity to strengthen his position ahead of next year's presidential election, particularly among young voters. Recent polls show that about 47 percent of respondents under 35 plan to vote for Mélenchon. Polls also suggest he could advance to the second round of the presidential election, where he would face far-right populist leader Marine Le Pen.
