Macron to meet students for the first time as France braces for another weekend of protests
As France braces for further protests over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet high school student representatives on Friday. It will be the first time the French leader has held talks with the student groups that have been calling for an overhaul of the education system since September.
Students have called for more demonstrations to maintain the pressure. Meanwhile Jean-Didier Berger, the minister delegate to the interior minister, said the police presence on the streets would be increased by 20 percent. The government is preparing on both fronts — dialogue and security.
Last weekend, largely peaceful demonstrations gave way to violent riots. Authorities were accused of failing to prepare adequately at the time. Before the protests expected on Saturday, the administration is taking no chances this time.
As part of that, a curfew in Paris will limit movement, while protest bans are in place in Marseille and Lyon. Tight security measures have been put in place in the capital and other major cities.
The students' demands are clear: better-funded schools, more teachers and a greater say in decisions affecting their future. Since mid-September they have been protesting against teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms sometimes holding more than 40 students, and dilapidated school buildings.
'For years, we've been given promises that were never kept,' said Soumaya Sarre, an 18-year-old student and a leading figure in the Federation of High School Students from Working-Class Neighbourhoods. 'What we want is for promises to be backed by concrete results. We want to see real change in our high schools.'
The grievances have grown into a nationwide movement at a tense moment, as France gears up for its presidential election in six months. As a result, the student movement is no longer only an education issue; it is also taking a place at the centre of national politics.
'Let's be clear: our demands are not all impossible to meet,' said Nathanael Combary, 18, president of the board of directors of the student organisation Renouveau Lyceen. He identified two priorities: a comprehensive overhaul of Parcoursup, the university admissions system many students consider discriminatory, and a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.7bn) emergency plan to improve school infrastructure before winter and summer.
Other student organisations and unions are calling for an additional 10 billion euros ($11.2bn) for education, more teachers on permanent rather than precarious contracts and 250,000 additional university places. In Combary's words, his primary goal is to provide 'very concrete solutions'.
The government has so far announced 3,000 additional substitute teachers and an online consultation, while its 2027 budget allocates an extra 1.1 billion euros ($1.2bn) to national education. Yet in interviews with students, one message emerged repeatedly: they want to be heard.
'It is clear that this crisis points to one thing: a breakdown in dialogue between the government — and politicians in general — and young people,' Combary said. 'We need a government that listens to us and is capable of responding to our demands.'
Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste is not considering abolishing Parcoursup, calling the idea 'pure demagogy', but he said he was ready for 'profound changes'. After a meeting with student organisations on 7 October, the national student union federation Union etudiante said the minister could not give them any guarantees. Another meeting is set for Monday, at which the government said it will present a first set of decisions on staffing, teacher replacements and Parcoursup.
Some observers, however, doubt that these measures alone can address the deeper causes of the unrest. In their view, the roots lie in anxiety linked to a diploma that no longer guarantees a job, an ever-increasing cost of living, and a sense that the state is no longer capable of providing services.
'Young people's prospects depend on the social status and wealth of a family. This is the root cause of these protests, and it can't be fixed with a few measures, such as improving heating in schools and toilets,' said Jacques Reland, a senior research fellow at the Global Policy Institute. 'The wealthy family has replaced the welfare state,' he added.
On top of that sits the reality of public finances. France has long spent heavily on a generous welfare system. Macron offered 10 billion euros ($11.2bn) in tax cuts to quell the 'yellow vest' movement that ripped through France in 2018; a similar response may be more difficult this time. Public debt is projected to reach 121.7 percent of GDP in 2027, up from 119.3 percent this year, according to the government's budget bill.
In Reland's words, the protesters are demanding things the government cannot satisfy unless it increases the deficit or touches social security — two aspects that would themselves push people into the streets. With only a minority in parliament, passing meaningful reforms is also hard for Macron. Friday's meeting and Monday's announcements will therefore decide whether the movement ends at the negotiating table or grows larger on the streets.
