France Today: 11 November 2026

Education protests filled the streets of Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux on Tuesday, and another national strike is set for next week. Elsewhere, a Paris landmark has closed its doors, and drivers are finally paying less at the pump.

City news

New emergency shelter divides a Paris neighbourhood

In Paris, a temporary accommodation centre due to house more than 300 people from mid-December has drawn objections from some residents, one of whom insisted, “We are not a ghetto of the rich who want no solidarity.” The centre is part of a wider pledge by the mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, to add 4,000 emergency accommodation places over his term. It is a sign of how hard it is to find room for emergency housing in the capital.

Source: France 3 Paris Île-de-France

BHV Marais shuts after insurance problem

In Paris, the department store BHV Marais was forced to close on Monday because of a problem with its insurance cover. The closure came one week after the store was placed under bankruptcy protection, which raises questions about the future of one of the city’s best-known shops.

Source: The Local France

Lyon’s La Ruche building takes shape

In Lyon, work is continuing on La Ruche, a new building at 22 rue Ravat near the Sainte-Blandine church that will include a crèche (a nursery for young children), inclusive housing and social housing. Pierre Oliver, mayor of the 2nd arrondissement, calls it “a genuinely balanced project”. It grew out of a consultation launched in 2022 by the Ville de Lyon and the SAVCL.

Source: Lyon Capitale

Second-hand sports gear in Marseille

In Marseille, a sports ressourcerie (a shop that collects and resells used goods) in the 3rd arrondissement gives unwanted equipment a second life. Items sell for up to three times less than new ones, which cuts waste and helps people back into work. For families on a budget, it is a cheap way to kit out a new hobby.

Source: France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Strikes, protests and transport disruption

Bordeaux pupils block schools again

In Bordeaux, pupils blocked several lycées (secondary schools) on Tuesday 10 November, and around 2,000 people marched through the city. It was another day in a protest movement that keeps coming back.

Source: Rue89 Bordeaux

Student protests widen beyond school buildings

France’s student movement started with complaints about crumbling classrooms and missing teachers. It is now pressing the political establishment to give young people more say over decisions about their future, which suggests the protests may not end quickly.

Source: RFI

Thousands march in Paris over education

In Paris, between 6,000 and 10,000 people marched on Tuesday as part of the education protests. Across France, 49 lycées were blocked on Tuesday morning, 1.3% of the country’s 3,700, according to the Ministry of Education.

Source: franceinfo Société

Court overturns ban on Paris student march

In Paris, the main march set off on Tuesday afternoon from the Panthéon towards Place de la Bastille. A second route, organised by Interfac Île-de-France and the Coordination régionale Etudiante, had been partly banned by the préfecture de police (the police authority). The tribunal administratif (administrative court) then cancelled the ban.

Source: France 3 Paris Île-de-France

Lyon marchers look ahead to 17 November

In Lyon, 3,500 school pupils, students and trade union members set off from place Jean-Macé in the 7th arrondissement shortly after 11am on Tuesday 10 November. A new national strike is planned for 17 November, so expect more disruption next week.

Source: Lyon Capitale

Cost of living

More households pay income tax, but still fewer than half

A study by the Direction générale des finances publiques (DGFiP), France’s tax authority, published on Tuesday, shows that the share of households paying income tax is rising. It is still just under one household in two. The study draws on 2025 income declarations known at 15 September, and finds that tax revenue is growing while tax credits and reductions are growing too.

Source: franceinfo Économie

Bardella attacks the minimum wage rise

Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National (RN), called the government’s announced rise in the smic (France’s national minimum wage) “a sticking plaster on an immense wound”. Speaking on BFMTV on Tuesday evening, he proposed giving pay rises to more employees while exempting companies from social charges.

Source: franceinfo Économie

Fuel drops back below two euros

Petrol is back below two euros a litre, and diesel now costs on average 20 cents less than it did 10 days ago, with further falls expected. Oil has dropped below 90 dollars a barrel for the first time since August, and France has started selling off its diesel reserves.

Source: franceinfo Économie

What it means for foreign residents

• If you planned to shop at BHV Marais, check that it has reopened before you go (The Local France).
• Parents of lycée pupils should watch for blockades at their child’s school (franceinfo Société).
• Plan journeys in Lyon and elsewhere around the national strike on 17 November (Lyon Capitale).
• Drivers may find it pays to wait a little before filling up, as prices are expected to fall further (franceinfo Économie).

France Today is a curated digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.