French deputies adopt amendment for 20% teacher salary increase

The French Finance Committee has adopted an amendment proposed by La France insoumise (LFI) that calls for an immediate 20% increase in teacher salaries. The measure aims to compensate for the long-term freeze on the index point that began under previous administrations and has continued through the presidency of Emmanuel Macron.

LFI deputy Paul Vannier described the current pay scale as a scandal, noting that starting salaries for teachers have dropped from being over twice the minimum wage (SMIC) in the 1980s to roughly equivalent to the SMIC today. He argued the increase is a necessary measure of justice to ensure teachers can afford basic living costs and to improve the profession's attractiveness to students.

While the amendment passed in committee, its likelihood of being debated in the full National Assembly during the 2027 budget review remains uncertain. The Rassemblement national opposed the measure, with deputy Anthony Boulogne labeling the proposal “completely fanciful” due to the lack of funding required to implement such a significant increase within a single budget year.