French tobacco retailers launch nationwide protests over taxation

French tobacco retailers are conducting a coordinated week-long mobilization, marking the first major protest movement of this kind in nearly a decade. Organized by the Confédération des buralistes, the demonstrations include several regional gatherings in locations such as Muret, Redon, Givors, Saverne, and Salon-de-Provence, culminating in a national rally in Vernon.

The retailers are demanding a firm moratorium on tobacco taxation and an end to the practice of indexing cigarette prices to inflation. They argue that high taxes are driving consumers toward illegal parallel markets and smuggling networks. In Corsica, for example, sales have dropped significantly following the alignment of cigarette prices with mainland France, while contraband from regions like Sardinia and Eastern Europe has increased.

Industry leaders, including Confédération President Serdar Kaya, warn that the current economic situation is increasingly precarious as official sales decline. The movement has also received political support from Marine Le Pen, who expressed support for freezing tobacco taxes to protect local social life.