Thousands of liberal doctors begin a strike from Monday, January 5, through January 15, protesting measures in the social security budget passed on December 16. Consultations and scheduled operations will be halted, with hospital disruptions from January 10 to 14. A demonstration is planned in Paris on January 10.
The anger of liberal doctors has reached a breaking point over the 2026 social security budget, narrowly passed by the National Assembly on December 16, 2025. All unions, including the Confédération des syndicats médicaux français (CSMF), have called for a nationwide strike from January 5 to 15. “Enough is enough. Angry liberal medicine is preparing for a ‘wake of arms’,” states Franck Devulder, president of the CSMF. “From January 5 to 15, it will cease to respond,” he adds.
Starting Monday, medical offices will close for routine consultations, and scheduled operations in clinics will be canceled. From January 10 to 14, hospital activities will be disrupted, potentially affecting public hospitals. A large demonstration is scheduled in Paris on Saturday, January 10, to protest these “unprecedented attacks” on liberal medicine.
Practitioners oppose measures such as increased oversight of sick leave prescriptions and authoritarian tariff cuts for certain procedures, bypassing social dialogue. The CSMF union estimates that 85% of its members will join, making the movement “extremely well-followed.”
In response to this mobilization, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist says she has coordinated with Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and facilities to ensure continuity of care. “We can also resort to requisitions if needed,” she warns in an interview with La République du Centre. She justifies the reforms by the rise in fee overruns, which leads some patients to forgo care for financial reasons.
This conflict highlights ongoing tensions in the French health system, where budget cuts clash with professionals' demands.
