FRANCE - Rioting Symptom of Economic Crisis

“We have a mess on our hands, to put it bluntly,” French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.

The disorder occurred in major cities across the country, leading Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to offer his resignation because of the police’s failure to contain the rioting.

The violence, which led to some 2,400 arrests, followed weeks of protests by French students angry about crumbling schools, a lack of teachers and dismal job prospects. More than 6,000 arrests were made during the school protests that began at the start of the fall term and more than 100 schools were damaged.

France will have to issue a record high of €340 billion in medium- and long-term bonds next year, according to analysts. Its debt as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 119% in the second quarter of this year, double the European Union’s target. Jittery investors sent the country’s 10-year government bond yield up to 4.9%.

-www.cnn.com, 19 October 2026

Commentary: When it comes to public protest, France is the champion. Wikipedia states, “According to one data set, there were 8,516 rebellions in France over the period from 1661 to 1789.”

What are the 2026 French student protests about? “Students protested against overcrowded classrooms, staffing shortage, decaying infrastructure such as toilets and buildings, and their school facilities being too small to comfortably accommodate everyone.”

When it comes to the economy, research shows:

1976: France was coming out of a sharp global recession triggered by the 1973 oil crisis. Despite structural friction, industrial production rebounded dynamically, delivering 4.3% real GDP growth.

2026: Growth is near stagnation. Hampered by recent geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, high energy inputs, and political fragmentation, France’s 2026 growth forecast has been repeatedly downgraded to between 0.4% and 0.7% trailing behind the Eurozone average.

Despite repeated uprisings and rebellions, France remains the world’s most popular tourist destination, accommodating over 100 million tourists every year. For January 2026, the population stood at 69 million. Total GDP (PPP) is listed as $4.7 trillion, with per capita GDP at $68,852.

Life expectancy in France is rather high at 83.7 years.

Our concern is the Church.

Wikipedia lists France with 58% following the Christian identity. According to the National Council of Evangelical Churches, France has 745,000 Christians; that’s roughly 1.5-1.6% of the total population. The French Midnight Call (Appel de Minuit) is available from our headquarters in Switzerland (see masthead on page 5) and on the internet at: www.appeldeminuit.ch

Pray for the living Church in the country of France.

(See Wake the Bride, Item #2302, $15.99.)