French Student Protests Continue Despite Government Promises

The French government laid out a package of changes to try to calm the protests. The plan includes capping the size of some high school classes so they are not too crowded. It also promises about €4 billion — roughly $5.7 billion — in loans to fix up school buildings, plus 15,000 new spots at universities. Student grants would also go up to keep pace with rising prices.

Even so, student leaders were not satisfied. Louis Letoublon, one of the main student representatives, spoke after leaving the meeting with officials. "Not all our demands were met. We'll go on for as long as it takes," he said. Students are especially upset about a university admissions system they say is unfair to poorer young people. The government promised to replace that system by 2028.

France's Education Minister Edouard Geffray admitted that something had to change. "It's clear we have to ease the pressure being felt in the education system," he told reporters at a press conference. However, the government did not say exactly how much all these promises would cost. France already has very high national debt — close to 120% of what the entire country produces in a year — making it hard to spend more money freely.

President Emmanuel Macron visited the city of Marseille to see the damage caused by protests on October 24. He thanked emergency workers and said security forces would stay in place. He also said he wanted future protests to be kept away from city centres to reduce damage. Macron warned that more unrest was likely before a large nationwide day of protests planned for November 5.

The protests have created a political opening for Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate who is already the front runner for France's 2027 presidential election. A poll taken on October 25 showed her with 32% to 33.5% of support, far ahead of her closest rival, left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon, who had 17%. Many voters feel the government is struggling to keep order, and that feeling is helping Le Pen gain even more supporters.

The violence has also brought in dangerous new groups. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that 1,435 people were arrested during demonstrations on October 24. He also reported a new and worrying trend: organised far-right gangs showed up in several cities to confront far-left protesters. Cities like Nice and Montpellier saw these groups arrive together, looking to target left-wing activists.

Businesses across France are suffering because of the ongoing unrest. Many shop owners kept their doors closed after the violence, afraid of more damage, and sales dropped sharply as a result. Alain Di Crescenzo, a leader in France's business community, described shopkeepers as "tired and demoralised." He warned that local commerce — small, neighbourhood businesses — was being destroyed by the continuing disorder. France's credit rating was also under watch, though rating agency Moody's decided not to downgrade it for now.