Macron Faces Election Pressure as France Funds €4bn School Repair Plan

French high school students are being urged to keep barricading their campuses and joining street protests, according to student union leaders who spoke on Monday. This call for continued action comes after the government unveiled a package of education measures intended to resolve the ongoing crisis.

The central component of the plan is a €4 billion loan to regional authorities for repairing school infrastructure. Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated that some buildings were in such poor condition that they were not fit for teaching. The repairs will target schools with collapsing ceilings, mold, broken toilets, and windows that fail to shut.

Beyond physical repairs, the government agreed to cap class sizes for 15-year-olds at 28 students in half of the schools located in low-income areas. This limit will expand to all high schools next year. Geffray also announced the creation of additional teaching posts and a review of the baccalaureate examination system.

Pierre Sourzat of the student group Les Lycéens told France Info television that the union remains in a power struggle with the state. He described the government's offer as a set of half measures rather than a full solution. Sourzat emphasized that continued mobilization is necessary to meet the maximum number of student demands.

The government also committed to changing the Parcoursuniversity application platform, which critics have called opaque. The system will be modified in 2027 and replaced entirely in 2028. Higher education minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 new student places will be created, with a focus on vocational courses. Parliament is scheduled to debate the changes on Wednesday.

The protest movement began more than five weeks ago in September and has grown into a major youth demonstration. It has drawn support from trade unions and those protesting the cost of living. Louis Letoublon, a representative who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, said the government’s reaction showed it was afraid and willing to listen. He noted that not all demands were met and that the movement would continue until it was satisfied.

Security concerns have intensified alongside the educational demands. Several children have been injured by police explosive weapons, and hundreds have been arrested. After a day of severe violence in October that included looting and fires, authorities imposed curfews and pushed protest routes to city outskirts. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that ultra-right groups arrived in organized formations in cities like Nice and Montpellier, leading to the charging of eleven suspects.

President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday to address police members. He described the current state of turmoil as not normal given that a presidential election is six months away. Macron said he would step down next spring, and Marine Le Pen currently leads the polls. The president warned that the next major demonstration on October 31 would be a day of risk.