GDP falls as French economy enters stagnation
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France's economic growth has stalled after GDP fell by 0.1% in the third quarter. For the government’s critics, the figure is a precise measurement of its policy failures, confirming the country's stagnation.
The timing is unhelpful for the Interior Ministry, which faces over 150 cost-of-living protests today. Authorities have mobilized 70,000 officers and the Council of State has stepped in to ban a planned route through Paris. The Interior Minister has also issued a specific warning: protesters found wearing Halloween masks tonight risk a year in prison. Using a holiday to hide one's face is, in the eyes of the law, still an illegal disguise.
The police are under separate pressure following reports that officers in Nice, Toulouse, and Rouen stood by while far-right militants attacked demonstrators last week. These reports of leniency coincide with the release of racist recordings from 2024 by the man behind a recent attack in Trappes, suggesting his xenophobic views were well-established long before he acted on them.