Description: The Block Everything protest movement started in several cities across France, such as Paris Nantes, Montpellier and Rennes. The outturn, despite being lower than expected, caused severe disruptions of public services across France, while the bulk of the protesters who were arrested caused significant disturbance in Paris and Rennes where they sporadically clashed with police forces, inflamed public property and caused damage to the electricity grid. The protests were a response to France’s revolving political crisis which inaugurated its fifth Prime Minister in Sebastien Lecornu in less than a two-year timespan. Lecornu’s appointment was disappointingly received by leaders from the largest far -right National Rally (NR) party and the far – left Unbowed which has stated their intention to call a no confidence vote immediately. NR on the other hand, has stated they planned to listen to Lecornu’s proposals, however, the party didn’t expect any results as the only solution was snap elections.
Impact: The protests reflect the public’s transpiring disapproval regarding France’s current political establishment. President Macron has grown increasingly unpopular among the population for failing to formulate an adequate fiscal policy, causing the revolving political crisis and keeping the country’s domestic situation deadlocked. Lecornu is expected to adopt a different approach from his predecessors and engage with the opposition in an attempt to bridge the political gap, potentially gathering support for resolving France’s growing debt problems. The largest opposition parties in NR and the Unbowed, as well as other smaller parties, are continuing to pursue their separate independent political agendas, however, they have conformed to establishing a joint front for snap elections. Depending on the results from Lecornu’s negotiations with the opposition, Macron would be left with a marginal period to break the political logjam in the country, while also facing the risk of escalating public unrest.