France braces for nationwide protests and strikes testing Emmanuel Macron

France is preparing for mass nationwide strikes and protests on Thursday in a major political test for President Emmanuel Macron. France 24 reported that hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are expected to march through French cities while public sector workers go on strike. Cyprus Inform, TRT World, and France 24 all reported that the country is facing widespread industrial action. [1][4][6]

The demonstrations follow weeks of persistent unrest that have rattled the French government. France 24 reported that the crisis is dominating the national political agenda just five months ahead of a presidential election. Reuters, The Straits Times, and Internazionale all reported that President Macron is seeking to prevent a repeat of unrest seen in October. [1][2][3][5]

Student unions recently announced plans to restart high school blockades across the country following a weekend where around 320,000 people protested across France, as FTMQ News reported earlier. President Macron had previously appealed for high school classes to resume after the government presented new proposals to address an ongoing education crisis. [9]