Thousands of people take to the streets in France against the rising cost of living and climate change

The protest, called by various left-wing parties and unions, has taken to the streets of Paris. Nupes leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon sees President Macron in “serious trouble”.

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In the context of protests and instability unleashed in recent days in the French state, the leftists dissatisfied with Macron’s policies have had an important appointment today. Thousands of people, 30,000 According to the Police, they have demonstrated today in the streets of Paris summoned by various parties and unions of the left to protest against rising cost of living and climate change.

At the head of the demonstration it has been possible to see the leader of Nupes Jean-Luc Mélenchonaccompanied by the recently named Nobel Prize for Literature, Annie Ernaux.

Mélenchon has assured that the call has had “an undeniable success” and that he sees President Emmanuel Macron “in serious trouble”.

Macron’s government is dealing with strong discontent due to the fuel shortage resulting from a refinery strike and the possibility that the Executive, without an absolute majority in the Assembly, will fast-track the draft budget for 2023 through the article 49.3 of the Constitution.

For Tuesday, October 18the French unions have called a “national mobilization” in defense of purchasing power and the right to strike, although they have specified that it will not be a general strike.

The workers’ representatives have opposed the government forcing, by decree, some workers at the Exxon and TotalEnergies refineries to return to work to mitigate the impact of the stoppages.

The refinery strike started on September 27 by the CGT union has been the starting point of the social unrest that has permeated France in recent weeks.

Currently, the strikes led by the CGT union involve five refineries out of seven and five warehouses out of 200; In two of the refineries, the Government has forced, by decree, to work several workers with special functions.

Meanwhile, a third of the gas stations in the country suffer from a shortage of some fuel or are closed, and at service stations with fuel there are long queues and the tension between drivers is evident.