The strike is directed against next year’s budget measures proposed this summer by former Prime Minister François Bayrou, whose government was brought down by a confidence vote on 8 September. Although newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu quickly scrapped one of the most unpopular proposals – eliminating two public holidays- he has not ruled out the rest. To appease the public and unions, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced plans to end “lifetime” benefits for former prime ministers. “90% of metro drivers and 80% of RER suburban rail drivers will be on strike,” according to the FO-RATP union. Pharmacists plan to close nearly all pharmacies (98%) in protest at shrinking profit margins on generic drugs.