French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has acknowledged growing anger among secondary school students and promised a government response by the end of October. His televised address came after days of protests, injuries and arrests, with education unions calling for further strikes and demonstrations.
The unrest has become a major domestic political challenge for France, combining demands for better-funded schools with concerns about policing, household finances and the government’s limited room for manoeuvre. Lecornu said young people’s anger “does not come from nowhere” and insisted that the government could not remain indifferent to their concerns.
Student protests continue across France
Secondary school students are calling for improvements to both education facilities and the way young people access higher education. Their demands include more resources for schools, sufficient teaching staff, better-maintained buildings and changes to Parcoursup, the platform used to apply for first-year higher education courses.
Students have criticised Parcoursup as opaque and unequal. They are also seeking practical improvements to school life, including more reliable cover when teachers are absent and changes to school timetables.
Hundreds of students, police officers and teaching staff have reportedly been injured since the mobilisation began. More than 6,500 people have been arrested, most of them minors, according to the source report.
Education unions have called for another day of strikes and protests on Thursday, suggesting that the demonstrations are likely to continue while the government prepares its promised plan.
Government promises an education response
The French government has already started a consultation with secondary school students. It has also launched projects focused on several of the issues raised by protesters:
- Cover for teachers who are absent
- Repairs and improvements to school buildings
- School timetable organisation
- Possible changes to the Parcoursup admissions platform
In his address, Lecornu said the government would present a plan at the end of October. That timetable means the immediate political question is whether ministers can offer specific and credible measures quickly enough to reduce tensions.
The government’s draft 2027 budget includes an increase in education spending. However, the executive is also seeking savings worth several tens of billions of euros to restore the country’s public finances. Any education package will therefore have to be balanced against pressure to reduce debt and avoid a parliamentary deadlock.
Policing becomes a central issue
The prime minister also addressed allegations of excessive force during the protests. He said security forces had not been instructed to confront protesting secondary school students.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the suspension of stun grenades in the context of the secondary school movement. The decision followed the serious injury of a 15-year-old boy in Lens, northern France. The student underwent an amputation and remains in hospital, according to the report.
Some police unions have responded negatively to the suspension, citing their right to withdraw from duty and warning that they may be unable to respond in the event of unrest. The dispute adds another layer of pressure as authorities prepare for further demonstrations.
Fuel prices and public finances widen the crisis
The student protests are taking place alongside broader economic and social concerns. Diesel prices have risen above €2.36 per litre, adding to pressure on household purchasing power. Lecornu said the government would release diesel stocks in an effort to bring prices down.
Farmers are also seeking government support after a severe drought affected the agricultural sector. Wine-production forecasts have been revised slightly upwards to almost 35 million hectolitres, but the Agriculture Ministry still considers that level historically low.
Lecornu repeated the government’s aim of reducing the deficit to 5% of gross domestic product next year. The combination of higher education spending, demands for support across the economy and the need for savings leaves ministers with limited financial flexibility.
What happens next?
The next important stage will be the government’s planned announcement at the end of October. Students and education unions will be watching for details on staffing, school repairs, admissions procedures and the treatment of protests by police.
The Thursday demonstrations will also indicate whether the prime minister’s message has eased tensions or whether the movement is gaining strength. The government must manage the immediate protests while negotiating the 2027 budget in a politically difficult parliamentary environment.
An app called Agora, created to collect young people’s concerns, has already received 30,000 anonymous contributions, according to Lecornu. That response suggests that the grievances extend beyond individual demonstrations and reflect wider dissatisfaction among young people.
Conclusion
France’s student protests have developed into a broader test of the government’s education policy, policing approach and financial credibility. EU news audiences will be watching the situation because instability in one of the European Union’s largest member states can affect wider European politics, but the measures announced so far remain national proposals rather than EU decisions. The promised plan at the end of October will be the clearest test of whether Lecornu’s government can turn its acknowledgement of student concerns into practical action.
