More than 250 demonstrations have been declared across France for Thursday, September 18, in response to a cross-industry union call to protest the austerity budget announced in the summer by recently ousted prime minister François Bayrou. His successor, Sébastien Lecornu, has not yet announced changes to the measures. All the labor unions have unanimously judged them to be "brutal," and denounced them as choosing "to make workers, people in precarious situations, retirees and the sick pay the price once again."

In public elementary schools, where teachers are required to declare their intention to strike 48 hours in advance, the leading union said it expected one-third of teachers to walk out on Thursday. Such a high figure would put the protest on par with the 2023 strikes against a contentious pension reform.

In Paris, where strike participation is traditionally higher than the nationwide average, the union has predicted a 45% walkout rate and that at least 90 schools will be closed. Overall, six out of seven education sector unions, which, together, account for more than 90% of public school staff, have called for strikes. The majority of unions representing private school teachers have also issued a call to strike, which is a rare occurrence.

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