Sophie Binet is preparing a social response. Appearing on LCI on Friday, the general secretary of the CGT called on the French to participate massively in the day of strikes and demonstrations on September 29th. She accused the government of pursuing an austerity policy and demanded that the budget "not be dictated to by employers."
For the head of the CGT union, the dramatic slowdown in the French economy cannot be solely attributed to international crises. On the contrary, she believes that the decline in growth is "linked to the austerity policies targeting workers and public services" and accuses the Prime Minister of "targeting the wrong people."
Sophie Binet is calling for a different strategy: a general wage increase, higher public sector salaries, and support for consumer spending. She is also demanding a freeze on fuel prices and an end to what she calls "gifts to the wealthiest individuals and the largest corporations."
The CGT wants to have direct influence on the budget
“We absolutely must not let the Prime Minister write his budget at the behest of employers,” she declared. The CGT union believes that September 29th should therefore be used to put pressure on the government before the examination of the 2027 budget bill.
This mobilization will take place in a particularly difficult economic context: the government has just lowered its growth forecast to just 0,5% for 2026, while the public deficit is now expected to exceed 5%. Seven months before the presidential election, the budget battle risks becoming the first major social confrontation of the new political season.
