The Money Problem Fueling France’s Riots artwork
The Journal.

The Money Problem Fueling France’s Riots

Oct 23, 2026 · 21 min

This past weekend, mayhem broke out alongside peaceful demonstrations in France. What started as a protest over school resources spiralled into anger over potential big cuts to social services. For years the country had a high appetite for borrowed money taken out at low interest rates. But today France is facing a fiscal reckoning as more than $1 trillion of that debt will come due by 2030. WSJ’s…