CNBC's script for China's CCTV on October 19, 2026 reports escalating protests in France over rising living costs, with fuel prices at the center. As of October 18, average French gasoline prices reached about USD 2.39 per liter, roughly 50% above the global average. Filling a 40-liter tank costs about USD 96, nearly 70% of a daily wage, and a growing number of employees are requesting payroll advances. France's fiscal deficit is projected at 5.4% of GDP this year, above the EU's 3% ceiling, and public debt is about EUR 3.6 trillion, or 119% of GDP, the highest since 1946. The 10-year yield briefly approached 5%, its highest since 2002, but the average debt maturity of about 8 years and 158 days means no immediate rollover crisis, and analysts say the ECB is unlikely to bail out French debt. Bank of France Governor Emmanuel Moulin said a 3% deficit is possible by 2029.
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