Anti-government protesters rally across France against Ukraine aid
Former MEP Florian Philippot leads nationwide demonstrations calling for Frexit and an end to military support for Ukraine.
Quick Look
Hundreds of protesters led by Florian Philippot rallied in Paris and other French cities to demand an end to Ukraine aid, withdrawal from NATO and the EU, and relief from rising fuel costs amid broader national unrest over the government's 2027 budget.
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Why It Matters
The French government recently proposed a 2027 budget featuring €54 billion in spending cuts to reach a 5% deficit target. Simultaneously, the EU has committed to a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine.
Hundreds of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to rally against continued aid to Ukraine as part of a nationwide protest organized by former MEP Florian Philippot, who is running in France’s 2027 presidential election.
The protesters called on French President Emmanuel Macron to halt aid to Ukraine and pushed for France’s withdrawal from the EU and all supranational institutions, including NATO. Apart from Paris, the right-wing Les Patriotes party, led by Philippot, organized rallies in Aubiere, Annecy, Grenoble, Perigueux and Chaumont, highlighting issues such as fuel costs, freedom of expression and peace.
The demonstration comes after a series of mass protests has gripped France in recent weeks, with students taking to the streets alongside broader labor actions over wages, public spending, working conditions and the government’s budget plans.
Philippot, a prominent Eurosceptic, marched through Paris with supporters, who waved French flags, as well as banners reading “Russia is not our enemy,” and calling for France to stay out of the Ukraine conflict.
“We must leave NATO, we must stop funding the war in Ukraine and stop arming it as well,” he stressed. “Instead of putting money over there, it must be put into lowering taxes on petrol, for example, because people can’t take it anymore.”
A Philippot supporter argued that “war efforts don’t achieve much,” calling for greater spending on “hospitals, education, and a whole range of budgets that are humane.”
The nationwide unrest comes as the French government unveiled its proposed 2027 budget earlier this week, targeting €54 billion in measures to bring the budget deficit to 5% of GDP, including spending cuts and freezes affecting public services, pensions and social benefits.
Philippot tore up an EU flag in front of demonstrators, saying, “This blue-starred rag is not our flag and never will be. So today, we are obviously going to get rid of it, because our fight is to get out of this horror through Frexit.”
Earlier this week, the EU reiterated its commitment to the €90 billion ($101 billion) loan aimed at covering the Ukrainian government’s budgetary and military financing needs for 2026 and 2027.
Open Questions
- Will the government adjust budget plans due to public pressure?
- How will the protest affect future polling for the 2027 election?
