<p>Australia’s public debt may be well below that of France but there are lessons to be taken from its economic woes</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily political email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The explosion of discontent that led to major protests and violence in France and across Europe is a “warning signal” that Australia could follow the same path without an “honest conversation” about the budget, economists say.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/hundreds-of-thousands-march-across-france-in-protests-over-schools-and-policing">Hundreds of thousands marched</a> in cities across France on Saturday to protest underfunded schools, as complaints of insufficient teacher numbers and dilapidated infrastructure mingled with broader discontent about cost-of-living pressures.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/28/politics-really-newsletter-guardian-australia-free-best-daily-auspol-email-subscribe?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/27/the-chaos-in-france-is-a-warning-signal-for-australias-public-spending-and-rising-costs">Continue reading...</a>
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The chaos in France is a ‘warning signal’ for Australia’s public spending and rising costs
<p>Australia’s public debt may be well below that of France but there are lessons to be taken from its economic woes</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily political email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The explosion of discontent that led to major protests and violence in France and across Europe is a “warning signal” that Australia could follow the same path without an “honest conversation” about the budget, economists say.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/hundreds-of-thousands-march-across-france-in-protests-over-schools-and-policing">Hundreds of thousands marched</a> in cities across France on Saturday to protest underfunded schools, as complaints of insufficient teacher numbers and dilapidated infrastructure mingled with broader discontent about cost-of-living pressures.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/28/politics-really-newsletter-guardian-australia-free-best-daily-auspol-email-subscribe?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/27/the-chaos-in-france-is-a-warning-signal-for-australias-public-spending-and-rising-costs">Continue reading...</a>