Live: French student representatives hail ‘concrete measures’, call for protests to continue

Key Points:

• French Education Minister Édouard Geffray assured that all decisions made in response to the student crisis will be fulfilled with clear deadlines and measurable goals, emphasizing no "empty promises."
• The government plans a major overhaul of the Parcoursup higher education admissions platform, with a two-stage transition starting in 2027 and full replacement by 2028, due to legal constraints on immediate changes.
• A €4 billion budget has been pledged for renovating education facilities, and classroom sizes for tenth graders will be capped at 28 pupils within two years to address overcrowding.
• Student representatives welcomed government announcements but deemed them insufficient, particularly criticizing the limited increase in higher education spots and calling for continued protests.
• President Emmanuel Macron condemned the unrest close to the upcoming election, criticized social media for fueling violence during protests, and promised concrete government measures to address student demands.