A protester holds a sign reading “Careful, we’ve got plenty more placards” during a demonstration in Marseille, southeastern France. PIC/ AFP
Unions are urging Lecornu to abandon the draft budget measures proposed by his predecessor, which include freezes on social welfare spending and austerity policies that many argue will further erode the purchasing power of low-paid and middle-class workers
In a joint statement issued before the recent change in leadership, unions described the proposed measures as "unprecedented brutality" and criticised the former government for "choosing to make workers, those in precarious employment, retirees, and the sick pay the price"
Unions also continue to protest President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64
Outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Wednesday he expects “a very strong mobilisation” in the streets. Around 80,000 police and gendarmerie officers are to be deployed nationwide
Disruptions are expected in multiple sectors, including public transportation, hospitals, and schools
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