A call on social media for anti-government protests appeared to be widely followed across France on Wednesday, as police clashed with demonstrators and traffic was disrupted.
Adding to the sense of political crisis, France's newly appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu – the fifth in less than two years – was sworn in on the same day, after the previous government collapsed over budget cuts.
"There is no impossible path," Mr Lecornu said during his inaugural speech. "We must put an end to the discrepancy between the political situation and what citizens expect from us when it comes to their daily lives."
There were tense scenes around Gare du Nord in Paris, as riot police pushed back protesters with batons after they attempted to storm the train station. Some 295 people have been arrested, the Interior Ministry said.
Other protests were peaceful, with national TV broadcasting images of hundreds of people standing in the street with placards in the southern city of Marseille.
Some 80,000 police and gendarmerie were deployed across the country, the Interior Ministry said on X, alongside a video of a ring road being cleared of debris in the western city of Rennes.
"No violence will be tolerated," the Interior Ministry said.
French media reported that 100,000 people were expected to take part in the demonstrations.
Speaking on BFMTV from the northern city of Calais, Green leader Marine Tondelier described the sit-in that she took part in as calm. "There is joy. There is dignity," she said.
Left-wing parties have attempted to surf the wave of discontent. Opposition politicians have predicted further political difficulties in the country after Mr Macron chose Mr Lecornu, a loyalist, to be the next premier.
The president's central block was weakened after a snap election in July last year. The far-right, led by the National Rally, as well as a leftist coalition, which has since fractured, came out strengthened.
National Rally leader Marine Le Pen wrote in a social media post on Tuesday that Macron had fired his last shot in naming Mr Lecornu and that new parliamentary elections were inevitable.
The "Block Everything" movement – a broad expression of discontent with no centralised leadership and an ad hoc organisation by social media – sprung up online in May among right-wing groups, researchers and officials said.
In the western city of Nantes, protesters blocked a motorway with burning tyres and bins. Police used tear gas to disperse people trying to occupy a roundabout in the same city.
In Montpellier, in the south-west, police scuffled with protesters who had set up a barricade to block traffic at a roundabout. A protester carried a banner that read: "Macron resign".
Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, some of whom threw various objects at them.
Motorway operator Vinci reported protests and traffic disruptions on highways throughout the country, including Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes and Lyon.
The "Block Everything" movement reflects popular discontent with what protesters deem a dysfunctional ruling elite preaching a painful gospel of austerity.
It has drawn comparisons to the 2018 "Yellow Vest" protests, which initially arose over fuel price hikes but morphed into a broader movement against Mr Macron and his plans for economic reform.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
On the menu
First course
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▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
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▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
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Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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