CGT leader criticizes financial bill

Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT union, criticized the French government's financial bill, stating that it "sacrifices the youth" and fails to address growing inequality. Speaking on LCI on Monday, October 12, Binet called for "deeply modifying" the government's financial bill, arguing that "cosmetic announcements" would not suffice to respond to the depth of public anger.

Government to present budget amid tensions

The government is set to present the budget on Tuesday, October 13, in the hemicycle, amid a highly charged social context in France. Last week, the Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray, promised to add 3,000 replacement teacher positions to classes, while the Minister of Economy, Roland Lescure, assured that there would be "space" for emergency measures in the 2027 budget, provided the public deficit target of 5% is not exceeded.

Education budget details revealed

According to Binet, the budget includes the elimination of 1,588 teacher positions, a reduction of 200 million euros for universities and higher education, and a freeze on personalized housing assistance (APL) and student scholarships for four years. The education budget is set to increase from 89.6 to 90.9 billion euros, a 1.4% rise, but more than 40% of this increase is attributed to mechanical career progression of staff, and 20% comes from implementing a new complementary health and pension coverage for staff.

Mixed changes in staffing and support

The budget also includes the creation of 1,300 assistants for students with disabilities (AESH), 304 social and medical positions, and 200 head of education (CPE) positions. However, it eliminates 1,588 teacher positions, including 836 in public middle schools and high schools. Binet supports the mobilization of students and called for a strike and demonstrations for all secondary and higher education teachers, as well as support for employees who will go on strike.

Calls for wealth redistribution

Binet criticized the budget for not demanding "any fair effort" from taxpayers, arguing that the money should be taken from billionaires, large companies, and rentiers who have never been richer. She noted that 13% of the French are hungry, with a quarter of 18-25 year olds not having enough to eat, while there have never been so many billionaires who have never been richer.

Pension and tax proposals debated

She also demanded the elimination of the under-indexation of pensions starting at 1,265 euros per month, which would save 4.1 billion euros in the state budget. This measure, according to Bercy, could be supplemented by other pension measures. However, Binet pointed out that 5 billion euros is precisely what the Wealth Tax (ISF), abolished in 2018, brought in.

Tax on high fortunes questioned

The Zucman tax on very high fortunes, which would tax 2% of fortunes exceeding 100 million euros, would bring in "20 billion euros," according to Binet. However, in an article published in September 2025 in Le Monde, seven economists, including Philippe Aghion and Christian Gollier, judged Gabriel Zucman's assessment to be overestimated, estimating the revenue to be in the order of 5 billion euros.

Call for salary indexing

Binet also called for all salaries to be indexed to prices to stop losing purchasing power, stating that "we do not live today with the minimum wage, even less so when you are a woman."