# France’s Public Debt Reaches 119% of GDP as Budget Pressure Builds By Riza Dagoc Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/28864 Published: 2026-10-09T10:30:05.000Z Updated: 2026-10-09T10:30:05.000Z Section: Regulation > Debt climbed to €3.5955 trillion in the second quarter as education protests and a 2027 budget debate add pressure on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government. France’s public debt reached €3.5955 trillion, or 119.0% of gross domestic product in the second quarter, putting fiscal pressure on the government as it prepares a 2027 budget and responds to nationwide education protests. Debt rose from 117.5% of GDP in the first quarter, while net public debt reached 111.4% of GDP. France recorded a general-government deficit of €152.5 billion, or 5.1% of GDP, in 2025. The 10-year French government benchmark rate stood at 4.72% on Oct. 6. The rate is a key measure of the cost of long-term government borrowing and remains central to concerns over France’s fiscal position. The French government filed its 2027 budget bill on Oct. 1. The proposal includes €1.2 billion in additional funding for the Education Ministry, as students and education workers press for more staffing, better facilities and increased funding. The French Education Ministry estimated strike participation on Oct. 8 at 2.57% in general and technological high schools and 0.77% in vocational schools. The ministry began half-day dialogue sessions at every high school on Oct. 7, with a national consultation scheduled to remain open through Oct. 23. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed ministers to prepare initial decisions, costs, financing plans and implementation schedules before the end of October. “This commitment must have concrete consequences,” Lecornu wrote in an Oct. 4 letter. “Before the end of October, you will present the first decisions, their cost, their financing and their timetable.” The fiscal debate follows continued concern over France’s debt burden and borrowing conditions. [France’s earlier debt and borrowing-cost pressures]() also centered on the government’s deficit and bond market strain. The government’s next concrete deadline is the end of October, when ministers are expected to present the first measures addressing the education demands and their financing. ## Links in this article - [France’s earlier debt and borrowing-cost pressures](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/27343)