French professional firefighters extend strike until December 4

Professional firefighter unions in France have announced they will extend their ongoing strike until December 4, 2026. The industrial action, which began on September 8, aims to secure concrete commitments regarding funding, staffing, and mission refocusing following a summer of record-breaking wildfires that destroyed over 100,000 hectares.

Unions are demanding progress on three specific fronts: the civil security modernization law, the 2027 finance law, and a formal agreement concerning the health, safety, and career paths of professional firefighters. They are calling for “perennial, fair, and ambitious” funding to match their increasing workload.

In response, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has proposed an additional one billion euros for civil security distributed over five years, including 200 million euros starting in 2027. To fund this, the government has suggested increasing the special tax on insurance contracts, which could generate approximately 140 to 150 million euros annually.

In regions such as Vendée, firefighters report significant pressure due to demographic growth and climate change risks. Local representatives noted that despite having hundreds of professionals and volunteers, nearly half of the department's 74 centers face daytime staffing shortages.