New Issue of La Cause du Peuple

We hereby share the new issue of La Cause du Peuple entitled “After Septemberism, a specter is haunting France.”, presented by the editorial team.

“Septemberism” is one of the names used to describe the social movement that took place in France in September and early October 2025, but which really began during the summer, building up like the anger of the French people. The trigger for this anger was the French government’s budget plan for 2026, which was announced by former Prime Minister François Bayrou on July 15. This budget plan was clear: social security, paid holidays, unemployment insurance, working hours, social assistance, everything that the working class had won in tough battles would be swept away for good in order to restructure the economic apparatus. The French government’s goal is to prepare for the next imperialist war.

This budget plan was the spark that ignited a movement: throughout the summer, general assemblies were organized in hundreds of cities across France, including small and medium-sized towns. Even the opportunistic “left-wing” opposition parties got involved. French Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a vote of confidence among members of parliament and was forced to resign. With this vote of confidence, Macron hoped to defuse the spark, reminding the French people of the false promise of the ballot box and the “Parliament” to bring some change. It was not enough, the French had been fooled enough, and September 10 and 18 were major dates for mobilization in France—as well as for state repression. On the government side, Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu, former Minister of the Armed Forces, as the new Prime Minister. Lecornu formed a first government that did not last 24 hours before resigning, due to the fragmentation of political forces in parliament. In an attempt to deal with this deeply divided parliament, he reconstituted a government in a hodgepodge alliance with, among others, the “Socialist Party,” which sold its votes in exchange for next to nothing, as it has been doing for decades. Alongside this game of deception in Parliament, anger continues to simmer in France. Although “Septemberism” did not last, the reasons for its explosion are still there and are growing stronger every day. And a specter is haunting France: the specter of the youth, who are rebuilding their Communist Youth.