Day marked by new high school student demonstrations and an unprecedented cyberattack targeting major retail chains. Here is the information you need to know about your daily life in France.
【High school student demonstrations: tension, violence, and numerous arrests】
High school and college students took to the streets again, just days before fall break, to demand more funding for their schools. According to the Ministry of Interior, 161,500 demonstrators were counted, compared to 480,000 according to the organizations behind the movement, reports France Info.
These demonstrations were accompanied by disturbances. According to a report from the Southern zone revealed by Le Figaro, nearly 1,000 arrests took place in southern France on the sidelines of high school movements, the overwhelming majority involving minors, largely first-time offenders.
In Paris, the high school demonstration also ended in violence, according to Le Parisien, which mentions "a handful of idiots who are there to discredit the movement." For people living in France, caution is recommended near demonstrations and in neighborhoods affected by these gatherings, particularly at the end of demonstrations.
Read on France Info | Read on Le Figaro | Read on Le Parisien
【Cyberattack in 500 supermarkets: risk of stock shortages】
In the night of Sunday to Monday, hackers took remote control of thermostats in several hundred supermarkets, modifying the temperature of connected refrigerators and freezers. Approximately 500 stores were affected, according to France Info.
The consequences are concrete for both customers and managers: fresh and frozen products disposed of, significant financial losses, and risk of shortages in affected sections. Some managers lost up to €200,000 in merchandise, France Info reports.
According to initial reports by France Info, this hacking was "not so sophisticated," with hackers simply managing to access the thermal regulation systems of the equipment. If you shop at an affected store, empty shelves or products removed from sale in the coming days would not be surprising.
Read on France Info | Hacking details on France Info
【Property tax: a calculation error can cost you dearly】
If you own property in France, here is something important to know: property tax can contain errors, particularly in calculating the taxable area of a property, reports France Info.
In Paris, a homeowner obtained a correction after discovering that rooms had been incorrectly attributed to them in the calculation of their taxable area. This action allowed them to recover approximately €700. For foreigners who own property in France, it may be useful to check the details of your property tax statement, particularly the area retained by the administration.
【2027 Budget: the weight of public sector pensions revealed】
For the first time, the executive published, in the annexes of the draft state budget for 2027, the exact share of pensions for former civil servants in the budgets of different ministries, according to Le Figaro. These figures confirm that nearly one-third of funds allocated to certain ministries actually serve to finance pensions, France Info notes, adding that these figures were already known but presented here in an "unprecedented" way.
Pensions represent nearly a quarter of public spending in France. As political deadlines approach, candidates put forward different proposals for their funding: a return to retirement at age 60, a delay in the legal age to 65, or the development of individual savings for future pensions, according to France Info.
Read on Le Figaro | Read on France Info | Candidates' proposals on France Info
【Fishermen: advance on fuel aid】
The government announced that fishermen will receive an advance on fuel aid, for an amount of nearly 11 million euros, according to France Info. This advance covers upcoming phases, covering the periods September-October and November-December.