Another day of protests in France against cuts: "It's the streets that should write the budget."

ParisFrance is experiencing another day of chaos this Thursday due to the general strike called to protest the cuts intended by the previous government. Despite the change of prime minister—the Macronist Sébastien Lecornu was appointed last week to replace François Bayrou—unions and left-wing parties believe the new government will also include budget cuts. The strike is a warning for Lecornu. "It is the street that must write the budget, and if not, it will be Mr. Lecornu who will end up on the street," warned Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT.

The new day of protest, which comes just a week after the mobilization that left more than 500 people arrested across the country, began this morning with some clashes in cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille and with many problems on public transportation, especially in the capital, where some metro lines only operated with minimal services during the hours.

Police have had to intervene to prevent bus exits and roadblocks. Entrances to dozens of schools have also been blocked. This afternoon, 181 people were arrested and seven police officers were injured. A France Télévisions journalist was also injured in Lyon.

The strike's turnout hasn't been very high—in Education, for example, a typically highly mobilized sector, only 17% of teachers have joined the protest, according to government data—but street protests have been widespread.

In Paris, the demonstration ended with some clashes between groups of young people and the police on the Place de la Nation. Across France, 250 demonstrations took place throughout the day, and, according to unions, "more than a million" people participated. The Interior Ministry lowers the figure by half. However, 56% of French people support or sympathize with the protest, according to a survey conducted by the BFMTV network.

To combat the violent incidents, the Interior Ministry has deployed a massive force of 80,000 police officers and gendarmes, along with drones and 26 armored vehicles, which are deployed on rare occasions, usually when serious disturbances are anticipated. The acting Interior Minister, conservative Bruno Retailleau, warned of zero tolerance for violence. "We will be inflexible," he asserted.

Without a government

The general strike is taking place with a new prime minister, but still without a new government. Lecornu, from President Macron's party, is in the midst of negotiations with other political forces to form a government. Since no group has a clear majority in the Assembly, it is essential not only to bring other forces into government, but also to seek agreements with the left and the far right to avoid a censure.

The key to all this is the budget. If the bill Lecornu must present before mid-October does not satisfy the left-wing parties and Marine Le Pen's far right, both blocs threaten to vote for a motion of censure that would once again bring down the government. In that case, the pressure on the President of the Republic to call early legislative elections would be maximum.

The challenge for Lecornu is enormous, especially because France's financial situation, with very high debt and deficit, requires the implementation of savings measures. And neither Le Pen nor the left-wing parties are willing to accept social or tax cuts that affect low- and middle-income citizens. It's an impossible Tetris.

During the demonstration in Paris, Binet called on the new prime minister to "definitely bury" the previous government's budget proposal and repeal Macron's pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64. "Without social justice or repeal of the reform, there will be governmental stability. The indignation is enormous, and the determination is equally great," the union leader stated on Thursday.