Emmanuel Macron promises concrete measures to address French student demands

French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that his government will announce concrete and strong measures to address high school student demands following weeks of nationwide unrest over education conditions. Speaking to reporters in Marseille on Monday, Emmanuel Macron said he asked the government to respond to the legitimate demands driving the social movement. [1]

France 24 reported that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will announce the new measures to assuage the student protesters. Emmanuel Macron noted that despite the upcoming government response, the next weekend could still bring the risk of further unrest. [1]

The unrest began after student demonstrations started on 21 September 2026 over poor conditions in French schools, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Up to 500 high schools were subsequently closed when teachers and trade unions joined the walkouts, and the French Interior Ministry recorded 1,949 arrests on 1 October 2026. [3]

Emmanuel Macron is the 25th president of France and positions himself as a liberal and a centrist. He launched his political party En Marche in April 2016, stating that the movement was neither right nor left before later describing it as both right and left. [2]