Eiffel Tower Closes as Nationwide Strikes Sweep France Protesting Austerity Measures

The Eiffel Tower announced its closure to visitors through an official statement due to ongoing strikes across France.

Paris:

On Thursday, demonstrators gathered in over 200 towns and cities throughout France to protest against proposed spending cuts and demand higher taxation on wealthy individuals.

Thousands of workers, retirees, and students marched from Place d'Italie in Paris on Thursday afternoon. The iconic Eiffel Tower informed visitors it would remain closed because of the nationwide strikes.

These strikes, organized by France's major labor unions, represent the latest in a series of protests that began last month amid political uncertainty and contentious budget discussions.

Union representatives are pressing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to abandon draft budget proposals from his predecessor, which include freezes on social welfare programs and austerity measures that many believe will further diminish the purchasing power of low and middle-income workers. They are also advocating for increased taxes on affluent citizens.

Prime Minister Lecornu, who took office last month, has not yet revealed specific budget plans and is still in the process of appointing government ministers, expected in the coming days. The highly fragmented parliament must debate the budget legislation before year's end.

"It's true, it's the first time that there are three days of strikes and protests in a month without a government or budget. It shows the level of social anger," stated Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, on Thursday.

When asked about the timing of the protests during an interview with BFM TV, she explained: "Why are we protesting now? Because we feel that it's now that the decisions are being made, and we want to be heard."

According to the French Interior Ministry, 195,000 protesters participated in demonstrations nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris.

SNCF, the national rail company, reported that high-speed train services operated normally on Thursday, while some regional lines experienced partial disruptions. In Paris, metro service remained close to normal, but many commuter trains ran at reduced capacity.

Some teachers and healthcare workers joined the strikes, though overall participation appeared lower than during previous protests last month.

On September 18, more than 500,000 demonstrators marched throughout France's towns and cities, according to police and interior ministry figures. Union reports claimed over one million strikers and protesters nationwide.

The previous week, anti-government demonstrations across France resulted in smoke-filled streets, burning barricades, and tear gas deployments during the "Block Everything" campaign.