Proteste in Frankreich

French Student Protests Through an Austrian Lens: A First-Hand Account and Interview with a French High School Teacher

By Viktoria Kalt 30.10.26, Vienna

Personal Impressions from Paris

Media in Austria has focused predominately on discussing the disturbances in the course of the student and wider protests that have been going on in France since September. A quick search for the key words "France" and "protests" in the online news outlet the Standard conveys a rather scary image of the protests. Among the first five articles listed, one finds the phrases "civil-war-like scenes", "loss of control", "unleashed mob" and "chaos".[1] The headlines are combined with images of burning or burnt objects, adding to an overall menacing representation of the protests. There have been occasional articles that discussed the student demands; however, they are in the minority.[2]

Even though I myself had researched the student protests in more detail, when I flew to Paris this week, I was expecting some form of disorder and destruction on the streets. Beforehand, people kept telling me to stay safe and away from any protests. What I found instead was people going about their everyday business and tourists flocking the sights. The only visible signs of the protests were graffiti and stickers as well as a high police presence. Additionally, the people I met and talked to – a writer and a social worker – highlighted the importance of the protests by emphasizing the negative social effects of budget cuts and the difficulties on the housing market. The protests themselves were described as peaceful and as moments of solidarity, especially the collective chanting and singing. Additionally, it was positively mentioned that the young people in France have been politicised. In the last presidential election in 2022, 42% of the 18-to-24-year-olds did not vote.[3] According to a recent study conducted by Ipsos/BVA, 80% of young people stated that they intend to vote in the next election.[4] Of course, voicing an intention does not automatically translate into putting that intention into action. However, it does seem that young people are raising their voices, joining the political arena and demanding to be heard.

During this conversation, one difference between Austria and France became clear. First of all, protests, demonstrations and strikes seem a lot more socially embedded. The social worker, for example, mentioned that the whole family has been joining the protests. They also mentioned that they had already been part of the 2023 protests against the pension reform law and described how they had learned how to prepare against police deployment of tear gas against protesters. The Austrian strike culture is and has historically been very, for lack of a better word, polite as well as scarce. In fact, within Europe Austria is the country with the second least strikes after Switzerland.[5] Then, there is a further structural difference. In Austria, we have the problem of a growing number of young people that do not have the right to vote due to a lack of citizenship. Data from 2025 showed that in Vienna 42,4% of the 16-24-year-olds are excluded from voting in elections[6], while a study from 2022 showed that in Paris the number of young people (aged 15-24) without a French citizenship was around 14,2%.[7][8] Therefore, even with a politization of students in Austria that would not mean that they can all make use of the political right to vote in a democracy.

An Interview with a Philosophy Teacher in France

While reflecting on these conversations and observations in Paris, I reached out to the philosophy teacher Alexis Moulaï, who teaches at a French high school, to gain more insight into their student protests. These are his answers:

What is the background of the student protests?

It is a complex issue. The secondary school students' movement began in mid-September with the blockade of a secondary school in the Paris region. It then quickly spread across the whole of France, and the pupils organised themselves not only through trade unions but also, to a large extent, via social media. We can describe it as a fairly horizontal movement, in that each school is highly autonomous, even though the students' demands are shared. The secondary school students' movement has been going on for over a month. It has now evolved because the pupils have been joined not only by their teachers – who share their demands – but also by university students, workers from all walks of life, left-wing politicians, et cetera.

You answered that it is a complex issue. What exactly is complex about the background of the protests?

What makes the context of the social movement currently taking place in France so complex is that it spans generations. It began with secondary school pupils in the Paris region who started blocking their schools; the blockades then spread, and the pupils began asking their teachers – who shared their demands – to lead them. Initially, the secondary school pupils wanted to be able to take action in complete safety. In many cases, they wanted to block their schools peacefully, without fear of police violence, but also without fear of violence from those using fireworks. These individuals are difficult to identify: they could have been young people who had dropped out of school, pupils failing at school, or young people who were socially marginalised. What unites them, in my view, is a blind rage towards a system that has abandoned them. What is regrettable is that they are not even able to formulate specific demands, and that their actions have undermined the pupils' protests. That is why the pupils turned to their teachers for help. Subsequently, left-wing politicians, as well as trade unions from other sectors, joined their movements with the aim of helping the secondary school pupils to get their demands heard.

Since 17 October, the 'Yellow Vests' have joined the movement – that is to say, all workers fighting for tax justice and a freeze on the prices of essential goods. That is why the context of the current movement is complex: it is a cross-sector, cross-union and also cross-generational movement. I find this rather unprecedented.

Why are they happening now?

How did organisation take place? As I write to you, the movement has grown, as it is no longer just secondary school pupils taking action through blockades, but hundreds of thousands of citizens marching on the biggest days of protest. On 17 and 24 October, 800,000 French people took to the streets, putting economic, political and media pressure on the ruling classes. So far, the government has made a few concessions: 150,000 places in higher education, 28 pupils per class for Year 11 (the first year of secondary school in France), and a commitment to lend money to regional councils to renovate buildings and replace Parcoursup, the university admissions system which secondary school pupils see as a tool for social sorting. However, neither secondary school pupils nor higher education students are satisfied with this: they want 250,000 university places, a reduction in class sizes at all levels of secondary school, and a concrete commitment to ending selection at university.

Could you tell me more about why you believe they are happening exactly now?

Since 17 October, the government has begun to give in to the secondary school pupils' demands, but not to a sufficient extent. It has promised 28 pupils per class in the first year of secondary school, 15,000 places in higher education, the end of Parcoursup and investment in school buildings. But the secondary school pupils want class sizes to be reduced in all year groups, for at least 250,000 places to be created in higher education – particularly at university… As for Parcoursup, they want guarantees regarding the end of selective admissions to university, and the reinstatement of the baccalaureate as the first university-level qualification. In short, they want the government to respond more satisfactorily to the movement.

The problem is that the government is beginning to suffocate the movement through the prefectures: demonstrations are being banned, or their routes are being changed at the last minute and moved to outlying areas. In short, everything is being done to discourage the protesters and secondary school pupils.

One of my fears is that the movement will run out of steam, although I believe it will start up again in one form or another in such cases. The spectre of the far right haunts France, but young people will not let it spread its darkness.

Which demands do they have?

More specifically, they are calling for:

a) Smaller class sizes, as in France, our classes can sometimes have as many as 35 pupils in high school.

b) The end of 'Parcoursup', a software programme that sorts pupils according to their ranking, but also sometimes according to their secondary school of origin. Instead of being sorted on social grounds, secondary school pupils want more places in higher education, so that they can study according to their own wishes rather than their academic ranking.

c) They also want renovated buildings capable of accommodating them in a dignified manner. During the heatwave, with 35 pupils per class, I'll leave it to everyone to imagine how difficult it is for them to concentrate. The most disadvantaged secondary school pupils also sometimes struggle to afford the school canteen…

d) They are also calling for better-structured and lighter timetables. Some have days with 8 hours or even 9 hours of lessons. How can anyone enjoy learning under such conditions?

In short, everyone will understand that they want an empowering school that does not resemble a factory.

Who is in solidarity with them and why?

Firstly, the teachers, who share the same demands as the secondary school students. But there are also many workers who aspire to dignity, notably by calling for higher salaries and real tax justice. The link between them is easy to understand, as secondary school and university students are fighting for their right to study with dignity. Workers, for their part, want a fairer distribution of wealth, in other words, a narrower gap between workers' wages and the profits made by those who own capital.

How was the solidarity between students and teachers organised?

The protesting pupils and teachers talk to each other a lot. Whether on apps like WhatsApp or during demonstrations, protests, etc. The protesting teachers ensure that pupils are not penalised for their absences, as some teachers continue to teach. And some send lesson materials to pupils or give them handouts when lessons resume… There are sometimes quieter moments in this movement.

Overall, pupils and teachers stand in solidarity with one another, particularly because they share common demands.

What do you regard as missing in the current media representation of the protests?

It all depends on which media are analysing the movement. But let's just say that the analyses sometimes lack insight. Pro-government media focus heavily on burnt-out garbage or the looting of small independent shops. Of course, there have been some deplorable acts, particularly during the large demonstration on 17 October, which brought 800,000 citizens on the streets. But we must always ask ourselves where the violence comes from when it erupts so spectacularly. Institutional violence is less visible than a smashed window, but it causes far more damage. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a single social class, when the education system serves only to perpetuate the social reproduction of the bourgeoisie, and when the most disadvantaged classes cannot make ends meet, it seems we are also dealing with a form of violence. Such analyses are not carried out often enough! Besides, every time the media reports on a smashed window or a burnt-out garbage, it fails to mention the students'demands. It is clear that some media outlets are failing in their duty to inform the public and are instead manufacturing public opinion. Media independence is a major issue in France…

What should or could students, teachers and generally people from other countries learn from the protests and what do they need to know about them?

In my humble opinion, I believe that everyone should realise that young people today are the greatest force for change and progress. Across Europe, and indeed around the world, young people are mobilising against the ruling classes who embody an outdated capitalism. A significant proportion of young people aspire to direct democracy and greater economic equality, and want to change the way we consume and produce. They also reject structural racism and islamophobia. I may be wrong, but when I see that it was partly young people who brought Lula to power in Brazil, or who actually seized power in Serbia, I tell myself that my analysis is probably on the right track.

Comparing France and Austria's Student Protests

From Alexis Moulaï's answer, we can discern some similarities and differences between current student protests in France and Austria. In both Austria and France, the current demonstrations are carried by young people. However, the first protests were not organized by students but rather by teachers such as Schule Brennt who then aided the organisation of student protests. It should further be mentioned that organising has developed within the Muslim communities. Also, the university demonstrations were not solely organised by the students or student unions, but by the university rectors. Just recently, on the 22nd of October, a large demonstration concerning university budget costs took place in Vienna with approximately 30 000 participants.[9] High school students have also been protesting. The biggest recent protest by students took place on the 9th of October. Different left-wing youth groups called for a student strike against racism, rearmament and against the newly introduced hijab ban in lower secondary and primary schools.[10] Compared to France, the Austrian state's model includes a cooperation with legally recognized religious communities. Religion is a mandatory subject. If one is not part of a recognised religion, then one is obligated to attend Ethics instead. However, students that are members of recognized religions can also decide to withdraw from religious education and instead attend the Ethics class.[11] Another difference is that religious symbols are not forbidden in Austrian schools. Many classrooms, for example, still have a cross hanging on the wall. In fact, due to the Concordat of 1933, if more than half of the students of a class are Christian, a cross has to be put up.[12] However, since this school year, one specific religious symbol, namely the hijab, has been banned. This ban is regarded by some as unfair as it is targeting only one religion as problematic and thereby seems to reflect broader Islamophobic tendencies.[13] In France, the deplorable state of school buildings, the teacher shortage, and criticism of the Parcoursup as socially discriminatory seem to have been key reasons for students to demonstrate. In Austria, on the other hand, the discriminatory hijab ban has played a key role.

Another difference between France and Austria is that social segregation within the Austrian educational system becomes palpable much earlier, whereas in France institutionalised discrimination is made visible with the Parcoursup. Already after attending an Austrian primary school – around the age of 10 – students are either assigned to a Gymasium – which includes both a lower secondary school and an upper secondary school – or a Mittelschule. The Mittelschule has historically developed as a lower secondary school for students not aiming for a university degree, but rather an apprenticeship, whereas the Gymnasium is the traditional school path for later academics. Although, there are possibilities for students from Mittelschulen to later be able to study, the likelihood is much lower. Additionally, the Mittelschulen is the school with a higher number of students from lower income families and parents without university degrees.[14] Students from these Mittelschulen are especially vulnerable to current budget cuts, as they are already more likely to have a lower socio-economical status. The age group of the Mittelschule can almost be compared to the Collége in France, although it is meant for the 10-14 and not the 11-15-year-olds. This means that the especially vulnerable student group is quite young and thereby, faces difficulties in getting their voices heard. This early division also creates obstacles in fostering solidarity between students at the Gymnasium with those at the Mittelschule.

Thankfully, France shows that solidarity between different groups of students, different school forms such as private and public, as well as solidarity between students and workers is possible. It does not matter whether in France, Serbia, Germany, Belgium or Austria, people are demanding to be heard; they are demanding a politics of dignity. With this, I send greetings of solidarity to the protesters in France.

[1] der Standard search result for "France" and "protests": https://www.derstandard.at/search?n=&fd=2026-10-09&__Invariant=Parameters.FromDate&td=&__Invariant=Parameters.ToDate&s=score&query=frankreich+proteste
[2]For example, an interview with the previous French Minister of Education Blanquer: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000342858/ex-bildungsminister-blanquer-es-gibt-gymnasien-wo-kaum-ein-lehrer-unterricht-geben-will.
[3] die Zeit, article on French voter turnout: https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2022-04/frankreich-wahlbeteiligung-praesidentschaftswahl-jugend
[4] Article on Ipsos/BVA study: https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20261006-78-des-jeunes-estiment-que-les-responsables-politiques-pr%C3%A9parent-mal-leur-avenir-selon-une-enqu%C3%AAte
[5] Austria and strike history and culture: https://oe3.orf.at/stories/2946956/
[6] Information on Viennese citizens without the right to vote: https://www.wien.gv.at/spezial/migration-integration-jugendliche/partizipation-junger-wienerinnen/nicht-wahlberechtigte-junge-wienerinnen/
[7] Information on Parisians without French citizenship: https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8582079?sommaire=8582090&geo=COM-75103
[8] An additional difference is the voting age: In Austria, one is allowed to vote at the age of 16, whereas in France it is at the age of 18.
[9] Information on the demonstration against university budget cuts on the 22nd of October: https://www.univie.ac.at/aktuelles/unisretten
[10] Information on the student strike in Austria: https://www.schuelerinnenstreik.at/was/
[11] Information on religious education in Austria from the Ministry of Education: https://rundschreiben.bmbwf.gv.at/media/2026_02.pdf
[12] Information on the Concordat and the Austrian school system: https://fm4v3.orf.at/stories/1774089/index.html
[13] Anti-Muslim racism in Austria on the rise:

https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20260611_OTS0062/kein-einzelfall-sondern-system-11-report-zu-antimuslimischem-rassismus-in-oesterreich
[14] Educational path closely connected to parents' educational and social background: https://orf.at/stories/3440971/