Riots that French officials blame on far-left groups have morphed into a political crisis, leaving hundreds injured and more than 100 high schools severely damaged. The social unrest appears to be a gift to right-wing presidential contender Marine Le Pen, whose Polymarket odds of winning next year's election have surged in recent days.
At least 65 school employees, including 40 principals, and roughly 170 students have been injured since the unrest began, Euronews reported Friday. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said at least 100 high schools had suffered severe damage.
The unrest began over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long school days, and deteriorating facilities. The government's proposed 2027 budget only offers a 1.7% increase in education spending, bringing the total to 65.53 billion euros.
French intelligence agencies told a government crisis meeting Thursday that radical politicians from the far-left France Unbowed party, known as LFI, had sparked the riots.
According to local outlet Le Monde, Geffray told reporters that far-left groups had taken control of the movement.
The broader security concern is that far-left groups exploit legitimate grievances, recruit younger and younger participants, and transform localized protests into opportunities to riot. The far-left-fueled riots that accompanied US protests in 2020 offer a cautionary tale about how these groups hijack movements, and Western governments are only now coming to their senses about this problem.
For Le Pen, these riots seem like a gift, as her Polymarket odds of winning next April's election have surged.
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