Geffray Announces €4bn Loan as Students Reject Concessions

The French government announced a new package of education measures on Monday to address a youth-led protest movement that has lasted more than five weeks. Education Minister Édouard Geffray unveiled the plan as high school students continued to barricade schools across the country.

The core of the proposal is a €4 billion loan from the state to regional authorities. Geffray stated that some school buildings are in such poor condition that they are not fit for teaching. The funds are intended to begin repairs on facilities that suffer from collapsing ceilings, mould, broken toilets, and windows that do not shut.

In response to complaints about overcrowding, the government will cap class sizes for 15-year-olds in the first year of high school at 28 students. This limit will apply to the 50% of schools located in the lowest-income areas. Geffray said the cap will extend to all high schools next year. The ministry also announced the creation of additional teaching posts and a review of the French baccalaureate system.

Changes to higher education are included in the package. The university application platform Parcoursup will be altered in 2027 and replaced by a new system in 2028. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 extra student places will be created, with a focus on vocational courses. Parliament will debate these issues on Wednesday.

Student leaders rejected the offer as insufficient. Pierre Sourzat of the student union Les Lycéens told France Info television that the group is in a power struggle with the government. He said the students need measures, not half measures. Sourzat urged pupils to keep barricading schools and join street protests to meet their maximum demands.

Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on behalf of Les Lycéens, said the government is afraid and knows it must listen. He noted that not all demands were met. Letoublon stated the movement will continue for as long as it takes. Baptiste said the government’s door is open for further discussions.

The protests have involved regular mass street demonstrations on Saturdays, joined by trade unions and cost-of-living protesters. Security measures have tightened following a day of heavy violence on 17 October. That day saw looting, fires, and vandalism of state buildings in several cities.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that ultra-right groups arrived in organized formations in cities like Nice and Montpellier over the weekend to target protesters. Eleven suspects face charges. Authorities have placed curfews in certain cities and banned some protests. Protest routes were moved to the outskirts of cities on Saturday, when demonstrations passed off largely peacefully.

President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday and acknowledged that nationwide street protests are likely to continue. He described the next day of demonstrations on 31 October as a day of risk. Macron said the looting and vandalism seen in mid-October should never happen again. He noted that the country is in a state of turmoil six months before a presidential election.

Macron is scheduled to step down next spring. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is currently leading the polls. Macron said the government will hold the line and address legitimate expectations to help the movement subside. Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that allowed the clashes on 17 October to occur.