French police made further arrests across the country on Monday as demonstrations against government austerity measures entered a new week, the Interior Ministry said. Officers deployed over the weekend led to 135 detentions nationwide.

The protests followed mounting anger over proposed spending cuts and pension changes contained in the 2027 budget. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government has struggled to secure a stable majority in the National Assembly, where opposition from the left-wing coalition and Marine Le Pen's National Rally has threatened repeated no-confidence challenges.

The largest gatherings took place in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, where trade unions including the CGT mobilised members against planned reductions to public services. The Interior Ministry said most detentions involved property damage and clashes with riot police, while union leaders accused authorities of heavy-handed tactics.

The unrest placed renewed pressure on President Emmanuel Macron, whose government must pass budget legislation before year-end to avoid a financing crisis. Analysts at the Paris-based Institut Montaigne warned that failure to secure parliamentary backing could trigger another government collapse, the second in little over a year.

A CGT spokesperson said the union would escalate industrial action if the government refused to withdraw the contested measures, signalling further disruption to transport and schools in the coming days.