In a televised address from his official residence, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directly addressed the student protests that have convulsed the country in recent days. He conceded that the government could not remain "indifferent" to the concerns of high school students, acknowledging that the "anger of young people does not come from nowhere."
Lecornu's remarks came as France grapples with a wave of demonstrations demanding better conditions in secondary schools. Hundreds of students, police officers, and teaching staff have been injured since the movement began, and more than 6,500 people—mostly minors—have been arrested. The protests have spread from Paris to cities like Marseille, Lille, and Lens, with clashes with police reported in several urban centres.
Government promises plan, but tensions persist
Lecornu insisted that French security forces have not been ordered to "confront" protesting students, even as allegations of police brutality mount. The government has already taken one concrete step: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the suspension of stun grenades in the context of the secondary school movement. The decision follows the serious injury of a 15-year-old boy in Lens, whose hand was torn off by a police grenade and later amputated. The teenager remains hospitalised.
Some police unions have reacted coolly to the measure, invoking their right to withdraw from duty and citing "their inability to respond" in the event of further unrest. The tension between maintaining order and protecting demonstrators is likely to remain a flashpoint.
Despite the government's overtures, the mobilisation is not letting up. Several education unions have called for another day of strikes and protests on Thursday, raising fears of further disruption. Secondary school students are demanding more resources, enough teachers, improvements to school buildings, and changes to Parcoursup—the platform used to apply for first-year higher education courses—which they regard as opaque and unequal.
The government has already begun to respond. A consultation with secondary school students is under way, and several projects have been launched by the executive, notably on covering for absent teachers, repairing school premises, organising the school timetable, and again, Parcoursup. Lecornu promised that a comprehensive plan to address the crisis would be presented at the end of October. He also highlighted that Agora, an app launched to gather young people's grievances, has already received 30,000 anonymous contributions.
Broader economic pressures
Beyond the immediate protests, Lecornu addressed wider economic issues. He promised to release diesel stocks in a bid to bring down fuel prices, which have again exceeded 2.36 euros per litre, fuelling concern over purchasing power. He reiterated an aim to cut the country's soaring debt to five percent of GDP next year, a target that seems increasingly ambitious given the multiple crises facing the government.
The farming sector is also feeling the strain, still grappling with the consequences of a severe drought. Wine-production forecasts, for example, have been revised "slightly" upwards to almost 35 million hectolitres, a level that remains historically low, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
These pressures come at a politically delicate time. France is wrestling with its 2027 budget and a looming election next year to choose President Emmanuel Macron's successor, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen riding high in the polls. Paris ministers have already criticised Le Pen's budget plan as "cardboard," underscoring the fraught political atmosphere.
Behind the immediate demands voiced by the protests lies a deeper question: how much room for manoeuvre does the government really have to calm anger on the streets? The list of demands is long, while public finances are highly constrained and Parliament risks deadlock. The coming weeks will test whether Lecornu's promises translate into tangible change, or whether the anger that has erupted will continue to simmer.
