By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) - The nationwide strike, called for Dec. 2, drew only a modest response in southwestern France, where fewer than 2,000 people joined rallies across several departments, far below the turnout seen during previous mobilizations this autumn.
Despite some 150 marches planned nationwide, union-led demonstrations in the southwest remained sparse, Sud-Ouest reported.
In Bordeaux, 300 to 400 people marched at midday against the government’s proposed budget and austerity measures, a steep drop from the 2,600 recorded in October and 9,000 in September.
In Bayonne, around 300 people gathered, while 250 rallied in Dordogne and 140 in Charente-Maritime. Smaller gatherings were reported across the region, including 80 people in Mont-de-Marsan and roughly 50 in Bergerac, despite heavy rain.
Nationally, the day of action had limited visible impact.
Rail traffic operated almost normally, as forecast by the Transport Ministry, with only localized disruptions on Intercites, some TER services in Occitanie, and Centre-Val de Loire, and slight delays on Paris’ RER C.
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry reported 5.27% of teachers on strike.
Union leaders acknowledged the challenge in generating momentum.
The CGT’s general secretary, Sophie Binet, described a “red alert” over what she called an “abominable budget,” with severe consequences for vulnerable groups. On Tuesday morning, she warned on France Inter that hospital budgets could fall by €5 billion ($5.8 billion), calling the outlook “catastrophic.”
In Paris, a thin procession set off from Place de la Bourse, far below the 55,000 demonstrators recorded on Sept. 18 and the 24,000 on Oct. 2 during broader inter-union mobilizations that included the CFDT and FO.
The unions CGT, FSU, and Solidaires had called for a nationwide protest against the government’s 2026 finance bill, which they describe as “socially unjust.”