World Multimedia News📡 Al Jazeera EnglishBy Al Jazeera EnglishOct 7, 2026👁 4 views

Can the French government meet students' demands? | Inside Story

The French government is facing an existential dilemma: people are calling for more, but the means to meet those demands have shrunk. France's public debt exceeds the size of its economy. And Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has proposed budget cuts in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The changes are likely to affect healthcare, pensions and education. Students are angry. They complain that schools are already overcrowded, understaffed and ill equipped. Conditions, they say, would only worsen if the budget is slashed. How can the government manage expectations and put its finances in ord…