Supriya Pundir Recently, a new chapter was added in crippling France’s political stability when Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost confidence vote in the parliament. And just after two days, on 10 September, massive protests in France were seen. The streets filled with angry protesters, signaling not just political fallout—but a nation on edge.
The trigger? A deeply unpopular budget proposal that many say asks too much of ordinary citizens while offering little in return. What followed was a wave of unrest that exposed the growing disconnect between the government and the people it serves.
What is Block Everything’ movement?
This “Block everything” movement is now spreading like a fire. It’s a citizen led movement against the government policies. People involved in this fierce movement are calling and encouraging people for boycott of major retailers like Carrefour, Amazon, and Auchan, civil disobedience and solidarity. This highly mobilized protest is demanding the drawback of spending cuts policies and demanding government to balance the austerity measures for the benefits of its citizen.
Usually such mass protests are held by political parties or independent parties. But unlike others, this Block Everything movement was started through social media platforms like Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter(X) and Telegram. Also, the information of the ongoing protest was spread to masses through telegram channels only. Supporters of this movement are using hashtags like #10septembre2025 and #10septembre in their posts on every platform for widespread awareness.
So why are people protesting in France?
François Bayrou’s proposed 2026 national budget has sparked widespread controversy and it’s easy to see why. The goal of this national budget is to reduce the national deficit which is now at 5%, which was originally planned at 3% moderate & safe limit.
And to do this, the budget includes several tough measures:
- Reducing 43.8 million Francs from the national budget.
- Removing two national holidays to increase workdays and boost productivity.
- Freezing pensions, meaning retirees won’t get any increase in their payments—even as prices go up.
- Cutting 5 billion Francs from healthcare, which may lead to longer wait times, fewer services, and lower quality care.
Though the government says, these steps will fix the falling & critical economy but the people of France think otherwise. These steps according to opposition, will hurt middle class citizens especially workers, retired people and health patients who rely on its government policies and financial support. As a result, there’s growing backlash and public concern.
What do you mean by National Deficit?
In simple terms, saying that the national deficit is 5.8% of GDP in 2024 means:
The government is spending more money than it earns, and the gap (or shortfall) is equal to 5.8% of the total value of everything the country produces in a year.
Example:
If the country’s GDP is $1 trillion, then a 5.8% deficit means the government is spending $58 billion more than it brings in through taxes and other income. This money usually has to be borrowed, which adds to the national debt over time.
How many people are arrested during these protests?
Over 200 supporters have been arrested and deployment of 80,000 police and gendarmes (security personnels) has been done nationwide, according to Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau.
France New Prime minister
Meanwhile, Sebastien Lecornu was sworn in as Prime Minister. According to sources, he is a close long-time ally of France President Emmanuel Macron. He is the fifth Prime Minister in just one year. But some sources say, he might face the same fate as of his predecessors. And this has already began in motion, as hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party has announced no confidence vote against the new Prime Minister.
Gagan Bharti 
