French trade unions launched a fresh wave of strikes on Thursday, seeking to maintain pressure on newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who has yet to form a government amid an ongoing political crisis.

Around 240 marches were organized nationwide, with protesters demanding that the government reconsider planned budget cuts and introduce a wealth tax on France’s super-rich. The unrest comes as Lecornu faces mounting criticism over his unprecedented delay in announcing a cabinet, more than three weeks after his appointment on September 9.

Although turnout was smaller than the massive nationwide demonstrations of September 18 — which drew between 500,000 and 1 million people — participation remained significant. The CGT trade union estimated that about 600,000 people joined Thursday’s protests, while police reported a far lower figure of 195,000. To oversee the events, the government deployed nearly 70,000 police and gendarmes across the country.

Union leaders said the ongoing political uncertainty contributed to the reduced mobilization. Aurélie Gagnier, co-general secretary of the FSU-SNUipp education union, told France Info that the “lack of political clarity” discouraged some education workers from striking. Still, she stressed that support for demands around tax justice and increased funding for schools remained strong among workers.

Lecornu, a close ally of centrist President Emmanuel Macron, replaced François Bayrou, who was ousted after a dispute over budget cuts. The new prime minister is expected to deliver his first address to parliament next week and finally announce his government lineup in the coming days.

His most urgent challenge will be drafting the 2026 budget, a task complicated by Macron’s centrist coalition lacking a parliamentary majority. Lecornu will likely need support from both the right-wing Les Républicains and the Socialist Party to secure passage of the budget.

In a recent interview, Lecornu dismissed two of the opposition’s central demands: the introduction of a new wealth tax and the suspension of Macron’s controversial pension age hike. Instead, he reaffirmed a budget deficit target of around 4.7% of GDP in 2026 — close to the previous government’s goal.

Lecornu specifically rejected a proposal from economist Gabriel Zucman, backed by the Socialists, for a 2% wealth tax on the wealthiest 0.01% of French citizens. Socialist leaders have suggested such a tax could be a condition for their cooperation on the budget, with further negotiations expected on Friday.

While acknowledging widespread public demand for “greater tax justice,” Lecornu said he did not believe the Zucman plan was the right solution. In a letter sent to unions this week, he pledged to improve pension provisions for women, but union leaders reiterated that their key demand remains a suspension and full revision of the 2023 pension reform.

The continuing strikes, coupled with Lecornu’s stalled government formation, underscore the fragile political environment facing France. As opposition parties and unions press their demands, the new prime minister faces the dual challenge of restoring stability while charting a clear economic path forward. (ILKHA)