France Promises Concrete Measures to Address Student Protests

The French government will announce new measures Monday to address demands from high school and university students following five weeks of protests that spread from campuses to streets across the country. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will meet student representatives before Education Minister Édouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste hold a press conference to present the consultation outcomes and planned actions. The government has promised "very concrete responses" to demands including reforming the Parcoursup university admissions system, improving study conditions, and increasing funding for educational institutions. The protests culminated in large demonstrations on October 17 and Saturday, with some incidents of vandalism. A government platform launched October 5 received about 100,000 citizen contributions. Student organizations demand 10 billion euros in measures including 250,000 new university places and scholarship reform, while new protests are planned for October 31 and November 5.