On May 1, 2026, workers, unions, and left-wing politicians protested in Paris against the 'dismantling of the social system' ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Around 300,000 people joined nationwide, including 100,000 in Paris. Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized Gabriel Attal's bill on working on this holiday.
In Paris, the march went from Place de la République to Place de la Nation under heavy heat. Organizers counted 100,000 demonstrators in the capital and 300,000 nationwide. Sylvie, an unemployed sixty-something from Palaiseau, worries about soaring fuel prices and possible liberalization of work on May 1.
At 2 p.m., festivities began with a speech by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The La France insoumise leader mocked the bill drafted by Gabriel Attal around May 1. Protesters denounced the 'dismantling of the social system' in a worried atmosphere.
Unions, led by CGT and CFDT, aim to influence presidential debates. CFDT general secretary Marylise Léon said: « We will inevitably want to weigh in on the presidential elections, but as is always the case with such important political deadlines. » Less than a year from the election, demands focus on wage increases and price freezes.
Elsewhere, Rassemblement national held a meeting in Mâcon with Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, calling for a 'renaissance of France' in a packed hall of 5,000. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu lunched with Laurent Wauquiez in Puy-en-Velay, with 13 entrepreneurs present.
