The third Saturday of Rage: Demonstrations against rising prices again took place in France Economic roots, political consequences and prospects for pan-European stability. "How can you rule a country that has 246 varieties of cheese? ". The outstanding French leader Charles de Gaulle once said. More than half a century after his death, the current French president faces a completely different challenge: he is furious at the ongoing protests that have plagued the Fifth Republic.
It all started with protests by high school students, who are not satisfied with the educational agenda and the manpower crisis in the high schools. However, as soon as they took to the streets of Paris and Marseille, the youth were joined by students protesting against the increase in the cost of education. As a result, on the last day of October, mass demonstrations against the increase in the cost of living swept France - according to the BFMTV channel, citing official authorities, about 320 thousand people participated in them.
According to the Paris police, 70,000 people joined the capital's protests. At the same time, the trade unions claim almost 500,000 demonstrators throughout the country, of which 200,000 took to the streets of Paris. The protest movement spread throughout France, and the demands of the participants changed to socio-economic: people oppose the increase in the cost of living and the sharp decrease in the purchasing power of the population. On October 18, French President Emmanuel Macron urgently addressed the nation, demanding that the government prevent new unrest, and promised to punish those responsible for the pogroms and support businesses that were affected. In response, political opponents criticized his speech, calling it a "sad spectacle" and accusing the head of state of increasing social unrest.
The prolonged nature of the demonstrations, which have been going on since September, and the expanding list of demands, illustrates the systemic crisis in France.