Macron to Address France Amid Protests and €54 Billion Austerity Plan

French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation at 8:00 PM local time on Sunday, following violent protests over the cost of living and public service cuts that have left one dead and over 1,200 arrested. The unrest, involving students, unions, and the Yellow Vests movement, spread across major cities, with the historic town hall in Limoges destroyed by Molotov cocktails. The government faces pressure from a €54 billion austerity package for 2027, proposed by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to reduce the deficit to 5%. Macron's government lacks a stable parliamentary majority and faces threats of a no-confidence vote. The IMF has warned France, which has the Eurozone's second-largest economy, that it has no room for delays, as its borrowing costs have reached a 25-year high.