It was a “black Thursday” in France, for the protests of the square against the maneuver, the same that led to the fall of Prime Minister François Bayrou. The unions and demonstrators rejoice: “We are more than a million in the street”. For the government, on the other hand, “over 500,000 demonstrators”, half were. And the French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, with an unexpected and unusual post -procession press release, has ensured that he was focused on the issues brought to the streets by announcing new consultations with the unions in the next few days.
Over 300 arrests in events across the country
But he did not fail to condemn “with the utmost severity” the violence against the law enforcement agencies and the damage that took place on the sidelines of the day of mobilization launched by all the unions. Only some accidents stained the day of mobilization. The budget of the arrests is however important. According to the official data of the Ministry of the Interior, 309 are stopped throughout France, while 10 are the injured among the protesters, one of the journalists (of France TV) and 26 between policemen and gendarmes. It is a balance sheet away from the days of violence of the yellow vests or the events against the pension reform of 2023.
In Paris, the procession was peaceful until the conclusion, at Place de la Nation, when the usual guerrilla scenes between the police were triggered – thanks to a massive deployment of men and means – and black bloc that did not obey the order of dispersion. Before these clashes in the queue at the procession – with the demonstrators already returned home – there had been along the path damage to shop windows, especially banks, as well as broken canopies and some bonfires on the streets.
Celebrate Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, proclaimed with satisfaction: “France has not been blocked”. But what do the French claim? Tax on the rich, reform of pensions, inflation and caravan: these were the dominant themes in the approximately 250 processions that traveled the streets of large cities and small towns in the country. There was no lack of appeals for the resignation aimed at President Emmanuel Macron.
Waiting for the next moves of the French Prime Minister Lecornu
The general impression is that the outcome of the consultations of Prime Minister Lecornu is expected. According to some analysts, if Lecornu has actually received white paper from Macron for important concessions, confirmation will arrive in the next few days. A skilled negotiator, Lecornu maintains an open channel both with Marine Le Pen and with the socialists, who continue to threaten the distrust but have not closed the door to the negotiations.
