French protests echo May 1968 as economic and political crisis deepens

A wave of protests ignited in a Paris suburb after students demanded more teachers at the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, quickly expanding to other schools and encompassing wider economic and social complaints. Police interventions have led to numerous severe injuries, echoing the violent clashes of past French uprisings. The demonstrations unfold against a backdrop of flat economic growth, an unemployment rate around 8%, and a public debt ratio above 5%, all of which have eroded confidence in President Emmanuel Macron’s administration.

Recent union talks with government chief Sébastien Lecornu produced no concessions, prompting a call for a general strike. With limited budgetary flexibility and a fragmented parliamentary majority, the government struggles to address the mounting pressure from students, workers, and other disaffected groups.