PARIS – Tens of thousands of people marched in Paris on Sunday to protest the rising cost of living, amid growing tense political atmosphere marked by strikes at refineries and nuclear plants risk spreading further.
The march was planned long before a coalition of leftist parties attacked to capitalize on the cost-of-living crisis and establish itself as the leading opposition to President Emmanuel Macron. But on Sunday, organizers signaled that they intend to build momentum from the social unrest to increase pressure on Mr Macron’s government.
“We need to be tougher,” said David Guiraud, a lawmaker from France Unbowed, the far-left party that led Sunday’s protests. He added that the government “can no longer decide for itself.”
Mr. Macron find yourself in a dangerous situation. He is simultaneously facing grievances about shortages at gas stations, along with labor strikes and stiff opposition in Congress, the more powerful lower house, which could try brought down his government this week over a controversial budget bill.
“We are entering a special and rather unusual cycle,” said Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed. He noted the “great convergence” between the strikes, the crisis in Parliament and the march.
At the heart of the problem is the rising cost of living. Already a The main theme of this spring’s French presidential campaignit has now become the primary concern of the French people, according to a recent researchgo beyond more traditional issues like climate change, security or immigration.
Although lower than in the rest of Europe, inflation in France has exceeded 6%, driving up prices of staples like meat and pasta. Parliament passed a inflation reduction package this summer, but it doesn’t fully offset the skyrocketing energy costs caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It was unbelievable,” said Gwenola Leroux, a 63-year-old retired literature professor who marched on Sunday. “Every time I buy essentials, I wonder if they have the wrong price.” She was holding a cardboard with an allegory inspired by the 17th-century poet La Fontaine denouncing inflation.
“Adieu, water, lettuce, saucisson, electricity,” he read.
The situation was complicated by strike at many refineriesleaving nearly a third of all petrol pumps in the country completely or partially dry and causing drivers to queue for hours at stations, sometimes descending into chaos.
Workers have demanded higher wages in line with inflation, as well as a larger share of the soaring profits of the energy giants. But their needs resonated far beyond the refineries, prompting nuclear plants and railroad workers to halt work or make plans, too.
The left seems eager to use social unrest to recover politically from scandals involving domestic violence and harassment by prominent legislators. Members of France Unbowed tried to compound the grievances, with some traveling to strike sites in northern France to call for amplification of the protests.
Thomas Portes, another lawmaker for France Unbowed, told striking workers at a TotalEnergies refinery near Le Havre on Thursday: “You can count on us in Parliament to reiterate the This war, bring your voice and be by your side.
Because of strategic disagreements, the main unions did not participate in Sunday’s march; Instead, they have called for a general strike next Tuesday. Mr. Mélenchon repeated that call on Sunday, describing the situation as the emergence of a “new Popular Front”, a reference to the broad leftist coalition that came to power in France in the interwar period .
The march, which began at the Place de la Nation and ended at the Place de la Bastille, east of Paris, had all the hallmarks of a classic French leftist protest: a sea of red flags, anti-protest slogans Fascist and stalls selling revolutionary essays.
A prominent participant among the politicians leading the meeting: Annie Ernauxwinner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature, who is outspoken in favor of the left.
Some lawmakers said the march was intended to put pressure on the government as a high-risk week begins in Parliament, where Mr Macron no longer holds an absolute majority.
The government faces a potential crisis over the controversial budget bill. Debate over the measure appears to have stalled, with most of the opposition vowing not to vote for it. Mr Macron’s government is likely to use special constitutional powers to pass the bill without a vote, possibly as early as Monday.
But that mechanism would also allow members of the opposition to vote no confidence. Although the risk of a government collapse seems remote as the center-right opposition seems reluctant to support the move, Mr. Guiraud, the France Unbowed lawmaker, confirmed on Sunday that the left-wing coalition would put forward such a vote.
“We are ready,” he said.
