French school children on strike

Money. And how it is spent by governments.

I watch France24.
I think they might be giving a clearer picture than most other outlets. 🤷‍♀️
This morning this issue was covered for 45 mins, far more than any other news outlet.

They have the highest level of French public debt since 1946.

No one has mentioned the elephant in the room so I will mass immigration. Too many people and too little resourses.

petra

I watch France24.
I think they might be giving a clearer picture than most other outlets. 🤷‍♀️
This morning this issue was covered for 45 mins, far more than any other news outlet.

Was public debt and immigration mentioned?

Did it have biases like most news channels seem to have nowadays?

Peacelilydilly

No one has mentioned the elephant in the room so I will mass immigration. Too many people and too little resourses.

Sort of, but for that we need to look back 70 years or so when France actually brought in Algerians and Africans to help rebuild.
The problem is obvious, it lies not in immigration, but in integration, which has never been achieved three or for generations on. And continuing.

(Sorry to the poster who doesn't think History is relevant to mention in these threads, but you can't ignore it).

* four not for

www.cnbc.com/2026/10/13/france-2027-budget-debt.html

fancythat

petra

I watch France24.
I think they might be giving a clearer picture than most other outlets. 🤷‍♀️
This morning this issue was covered for 45 mins, far more than any other news outlet.

Was public debt and immigration mentioned?

Did it have biases like most news channels seem to have nowadays?

I don’t know where you’re coming from with the most news channels have biases these days line fancythat, there are literally hundreds of them, and surely nobody relies totally on one channel for the news they receive? Every camera, every reporter, every news outlet, sees any incident or story differently. The thing we really shouldn’t rely on is social media, that’s where bias, lies and conspiracy theories abound,

Rather more than just being on strike, it would seem.

I don't know how conditions compare with English Education but I remember meeting a French couple, both teachers who were on exchange in England. The husband was lecturing at University and enjoying it very much,, but his wife was working in secondary education and could not cope with the work load, hours, National Curriculum and what she considered to be the impositions of the daily timetable. They returned home after a term.

I think Le Pen would not be loudly blaming the far left and "rioters" if it was in any way a protest about immigration.
When the "gilets jaunes" get involved you know what is likely to happen.

MartavTaurus

I don't understand why, for some, La Belle France has no meaning to them anymore. Seriously, why destroy your own country's historical building which are architecturally beautiful?
If you don't like a particular government, that's fine, but show some respect for the taxpayers who will have to pay to rebuild the beautiful edifices. It's very sad.

Exactly! It’s absolutely appalling what they have done!
It’s just a free for all.
Black guy I saw being interviewed, said he was there to protest.
About what? He say’s I don’t know.
But we are coming to demonstrate.
We are coming to show we aren’t being heard about new reforms.
We’ve come to show our joy & humour.
What’s the is the message? Our message is to destroy everything!
Off they go, fists in the air, clapping & cheering.
All look like migrants to me.

Who is going to pick up the tab for that, the tax payer. Not these left wing hooligans, that’s for sure!

I don’t think this should be over egged, given that France historically has a huge number of incidents of civil unrest, it’s just the way they are. There’s a list of majors incidences on Wikipedia, and it’s massive, and not just recent years.
www.google.com/goto?url=CAEShAEB6zswFRK9nfGwQ0p5YuKOC9hJO6NCNp0IMJ7MGYDZjx5rGa4obqWNvOLnQY2F2MjE2IxnLnVvK6I14MfuJ9gYXv8-lxN7vgZG6Ed7aLd4BoPaMIzD6FqnGtSMiG5_vSPNd2xvGo-XdAR1_SwqzIgQ7KLWLOwp4D1a_h5kSXrDUwRAKtM

It is what they do Casdon, but this time it is different and more dangerous.
Mainly to do with social networks egging people on, the young age of the hooligans, the spread across the whole of France not just in Paris. And most importantly, as mentioned above, a lot of the participants haven't a clue what they are protesting about, all they want is violence and looting.
That's not how it was historically.

MartavTaurus

It is what they do Casdon, but this time it is different and more dangerous.
Mainly to do with social networks egging people on, the young age of the hooligans, the spread across the whole of France not just in Paris. And most importantly, as mentioned above, a lot of the participants haven't a clue what they are protesting about, all they want is violence and looting.
That's not how it was historically.

I agree. We are absolutely are living in dangerous times due social media.
It could quite easily happen here in Blighty, as they all follow each other like sheep.
I hope to god it doesn’t.

It is what they do Casdon, but this time it is different and more dangerous.

I agree.
Their finances are in trouble.

It’s not just France, there were cost of living protests in Belgium, Italy and Portugal yesterday.

A reminder that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the channel.

Just had a chat with a young friend of my daughter's (in her 20s) who lives near Paris. She said she and her friends are too frightened to go into Paris at the moment, very scary times there just now.

Macron to address the nation at 8pm after earlier crisis meeting.

MartavTaurus

It is what they do Casdon, but this time it is different and more dangerous.
Mainly to do with social networks egging people on, the young age of the hooligans, the spread across the whole of France not just in Paris. And most importantly, as mentioned above, a lot of the participants haven't a clue what they are protesting about, all they want is violence and looting.
That's not how it was historically.

Social media being used to gather momentum for riots isn’t new though, it happened in 2023 for example, when the Nahel Merzouk riots took place, and there are a number of other examples since social media prevalence took place. I’m not saying this time isn’t important, but it does need to be seen in context. There’s always a tendency for supporters of whichever political persuasion isn’t involved in a particular event to over egg what happens - but history, including very recent history, points to a French tendency to be involved in civil unrest, about all sorts of things. There’s also always a criminal element who get involved in any riots, just as there is in the UK, and doubtless elsewhere too.

MT62
Black guy I saw being interviewed said he was there to protest
Why the need to point out that it was a black guy
Would you have felt the need to mention that it was a white guy being interviewed 🤷‍♀️

In 2023 it was leaderless chaos though. This time is different because Mélenchon and LFI elected members show up at blockades, using digital broadcast channels to legitimize the disruption. It is politically lead.
Marine Le Pen is out there scoring points too.
There's no denying that the elections of 2027 also play a big part, but I don't want to view it as just a few disgruntled Frenchmen losing their rag, as is their tendency, because it's far more than that.
Someone has to instill law and order, fast.

It’s certainly interesting this time in that the far left politicians are involved, which is not typical.
There’s an interesting The Conversation about the history of rioting in France in recent years.
www.google.com/goto?url=CAESqQEB6zswFYxQnZztEbnx4iN1LPeC6WFPBWtNkAAFD4LOTX5Y3i7k3wn7F7IcXzuy3JnTr17k89YIEjNA3U3u_244jZ1CbQ1SpRjV5-A9C2ifhwT6nXqEvp7QWItLrlqDcWFK6SNlNobC5U1QpYkTpuob7jO7HyPzv96xgWcC99bVhf08_9gqIIU1taG0uYtUNTugpjNo6GKHtK83GQR_fX7dzmmLHDiySA4i

MT62

MartavTaurus

I don't understand why, for some, La Belle France has no meaning to them anymore. Seriously, why destroy your own country's historical building which are architecturally beautiful?
If you don't like a particular government, that's fine, but show some respect for the taxpayers who will have to pay to rebuild the beautiful edifices. It's very sad.

Exactly! It’s absolutely appalling what they have done!
It’s just a free for all.
Black guy I saw being interviewed, said he was there to protest.
About what? He say’s I don’t know.
But we are coming to demonstrate.
We are coming to show we aren’t being heard about new reforms.
We’ve come to show our joy & humour.
What’s the is the message? Our message is to destroy everything!
Off they go, fists in the air, clapping & cheering.
All look like migrants to me.

Who is going to pick up the tab for that, the tax payer. Not these left wing hooligans, that’s for sure!

More like the joy of setting stuff on fire and doing a bit of light looting isn’t it?
It started off as a school protest and has now attracted anyone who’s drawn to the anarchy.

I look forward to hearing what Macron has to say. I was teaching in suburban Paris in May 68 ( more correctly, I was a striking teacher against my will!), and well remember de Gaulle's three TV appearances - panicking, dictatorial, and smug.