And so France continues to smoulder. Two weeks after the first mass demonstrations in support of increased funding for French state schools, events reached a peak on Saturday October 17. Widespread destruction of small businesses, cafés, town halls and chain shops have brought the French economy even further to catastrophe.

The scenes of mass looting, along with the burning spire of the 150-year-old Limoges town hall hardly inspire confidence in the government of President Emmanuel Macron and his prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu. A sell-off of government bonds is the latest sign of economic gloom, demonstrating the market’s concerns over France’s ability to claw back control over its public finances.

It is easy to forget there is a legitimate reason for these protests: educational reform. This was also the root cause for the events of May and June 1968, which this generation of protesters have looked to emulate. Although changes to the education system were introduced in the wake of May 1968, the centre-right went onto win a majority in the June parliamentary elections in a wave of support for General Charles de Gaulle, rather than in support of the protesters’ cause.

Macron now faces similar problems to de Gaulle, with the cost of living and youth unemployment also part of the picture. When he came to power in May 2017, Macron promised major........

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