The protests in France have continued for several weeks, and they remain uncalm. Although the government has deployed tens of thousands of police to prevent further large-scale riots, the protesters are not willing to stop there. As students, workers, teachers, and members of the “Gilets Jaunes” movement take to the streets, French President Macron is facing an increasingly difficult situation.
According to a report by Reuters on October 25th, several French protest groups and unions called for another round of national demonstrations. They plan to take to the streets again on October 31st and push for a national strike on November 5th in order to continue pressuring the government.
French social activist Azelma Sigaux expressed her views on society in a social media post: "This country is filled with anger." This anger is spreading across schools, universities, street roundabouts, communities, farms, and workplaces.
For Macron, whose term as president is coming to an end, the ongoing social crisis in France has turned into a political knot that is difficult to resolve. In the face of growing street protests, if the government resorts to tough measures to restore order, it may further intensify public dissatisfaction. If the government chooses to make concessions, it will be constrained by high public debt and fiscal deficits, making it difficult to allocate significant funds to appease society, as was the case during the “Jeans Jackets” movement in 2018.
Even more problematic is that Macron’s ruling coalition has lost a majority in parliament. Any significant reforms and financial adjustments could face opposition from the opposition. At the same time, the left demands that the government respond to people’s livelihood concerns, while the right continues to criticize the government for losing control over public order. Political rivals like Le Pen have even set their sights on the 2027 presidential elections.
Strengthening stability may intensify conflicts. There is no financial resources to make concessions. There is a lack of parliamentary support for promoting reforms. Keeping the situation calm may allow crises to spread unchecked.
Multiple dilemmas are intertwined, putting Macron in a deadlock where every step he takes comes at him political costs.
The French government originally hoped to contain the violent riots that had swept the country through the deployment of a large number of police forces.
According to data released by the French Interior Ministry, on October 24th, approximately 410,000 people participated in demonstrations across France. Authorities deployed about 70,000 police officers to maintain order, preventing the recurrence of large-scale robberies and vandalism that occurred in several cities on October 17th.
However, sporadic clashes continue to occur in cities such as Paris and Marseille.
The French Interior Ministry stated on the 25th that 1,314 people were arrested during the demonstrations on the 24th, which is about half of the number seen the previous week. Approximately 50 police officers were injured, compared to over 1,000 people injured in the previous week.
Compared to the previous week, street violence has eased, but the dissatisfaction among protesters has not diminished.
French leftist trade union alliance Solidarités' co-leaders Muriel Guilbert (on the 25th) after being interviewed on French BFM television, stated that France was currently experiencing "the gathering of angry emotions".
She pointed out that dissatisfaction among different groups such as students, workers, and firefighters is becoming intertwined. The protests initially initiated by students have gradually evolved into broader social movements involving issues like wages, living costs, and public services.
We call upon people to hit the streets again next Saturday. Gielbert said.
The French SUD trade union has announced its participation in the demonstration on October 31. The French Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT) has stated that it will decide whether to join the demonstration this week.
Meanwhile, the 'Yellow Vest' movement that emerged in 2018 against the increase in fuel taxes has become active again. It is calling on its supporters to participate in a new round of large-scale protests, including sit-ins outside town halls and national parliaments.
This protest wave was initially sparked by students' dissatisfaction with educational conditions, and later it merged with long-term societal pressures such as high living costs, public service issues, and demands for higher incomes.
According to a French newspaper, the large-scale protests on October 17 attracted about 550,000 people. However, fires, robberies, and clashes between protesters and police occurred in some cities, casting a shadow over the protest activities that were originally meant to be peaceful.
Some protesters condemned the use of violence and destruction during demonstrations, arguing that such actions harmed their core demands. Others criticized law enforcement's use of tear gas and other strong-handed tactics, fearing that these measures restricted the legitimate rights to protest.
In the face of the escalating tensions, the Macron government has strengthened its police deployment on one hand, and has tried to engage in dialogue with trade unions and student representatives on the other.
However, the protest group believes that the measures proposed by the government so far are far from sufficient.
"We did not receive any response from this government." said Gilbert.
Meanwhile, the police are also under pressure. The French Police Union warned on the 25th that there is not enough police force to maintain large-scale deployments like those seen on October 24th for an extended period of time.
This means that even if the government is able to control street violence in the short term, it will still be difficult to resolve societal contradictions simply by increasing police personnel.
For Macron, what is more difficult than maintaining order on the streets is how to respond to the economic and social demands put forward by the demonstrators.
Reuters pointed out that in 2019, when facing the 'Yellow Vest' movement, the Macron government had financial room to ease public dissatisfaction by measures such as reducing fuel costs.
But seven years have passed, and France's public finances have become even more strained. It is now difficult for the government to allocate sufficient funds to meet the demands of protesters.
Meanwhile, Macron's presidential term will end in April next year, and his centrist faction will no longer have the parliamentary majority required to push through major legislation.
Fiscal constraint and political pressure interlayered, significantly narrowing the policy space for the Merkel government's choices.
If further increases in public expenditure are made, governments will face a larger fiscal burden; if control of expenditures is maintained, it may exacerbate protestors' discontent over wages, living costs and public services.
In terms of security issues, the government also faces a dilemma: increasing the number of police officers can reduce violent incidents, but it may also deepen some demonstrators' distrust of the police's law enforcement methods.
Some protesters in Paris criticized during an interview with Hong Kong Phoenix TV: "Let him go! We don’t want to wait until the election day. So the timing of the presidential elections doesn’t matter at all. It’s us who are creating history, not Macron."
The impact of this incident is also spreading beyond France. Reuters reported that on October 24th, anti-government protesters in Brussels, Belgium clashed with the police, during which tear gas and pepper spray were used by the police. In Albania and Italy, protests and riots have also occurred to varying degrees recently.
These events each have their domestic backgrounds, but the continuous social protests in many European countries reflect that economic pressures and political dissatisfaction are becoming common challenges that some European governments must face.
For Macron, perhaps the most difficult task right now is not how to restore peace on the streets, but how to respond to the increasing demands put forward by various groups, given limited financial resources and insufficient parliamentary support.
