Parcoursup reform committee first meeting, Digi Mart USA News: A large share of student and high school organizations, along with the education intersyndicale, walked out of the first meeting of the Parcoursup reform committee on Monday, November 9. Speaking to the press, Manon Moret, secretary general of the Unef, said the unions left together and would never enter a room with the far right, which she described as responsible for spreading racist, fascist and hateful ideas.
Eloïse Lefebvre-Milon, co-secretary general of the Union étudiante, said it was a disgrace that the far right had been present at the meeting. Union leaders denounced the attendance of the UNI student union, which describes itself as the “first right-wing student movement,” as well as Thierry Tesson, a RN deputy for Nord, and Gaëlle Frontoni, a UDR senator for Alpes-Maritimes.
According to information obtained by franceinfo, the meeting continued with participants including UNI, Renouveau Lycéen and the Medef employers’ federation. Earlier, on October 21, several student and high school organizations had already boycotted a consultation on Parcoursup because a UNI representative was attending.
The meeting followed an exchange between Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and youth organization representatives announced the previous week. Student unions also objected to the place given to employer organizations on Monday evening.
Lefebvre-Milon said higher education should not be reformed according to business needs, adding, “It is young people who must be listened to.”
She said the youth intersyndicale (Fage, Union étudiante, Unef, USL) continues to demand the repeal of Parcoursup. Fifteen days earlier, the government had announced changes to the post-baccalaureate orientation platform, which is at the center of the protests, before its replacement in 2028.
She said the outcome was once again unsatisfactory.
The education intersyndicale also left the meeting. Sophie Vénétitay, secretary general of the Snes-FSU, the largest secondary-education union, said the government was unable to offer a new response to students and staff.
Morgane Verviers, secretary general of the Unsa Education, said the situation had stalled for a long time and that a political solution was needed to end the crisis.
