A broad group of liberal medical professionals in France will strike from January 5 to 15, halting routine consultations and many scheduled procedures.

The action is a protest against the Social Security budget (PLFSS) approved by the National Assembly, which doctors’ unions call an unprecedented attack on liberal medicine.

The plan includes staged actions: reduced activity from January 5, a total halt by January 10, and a major mobilization on January 11 with more than 2,000 doctors traveling by bus from Paris to return by January 14, plus a large Paris demonstration on January 10 at 1 PM between the Panthéon and the Health Ministry.

The government’s response features Health Minister Stéphanie Rist attempting to reopen dialogue, noting some contested measures were dropped, though opposition says no binding guarantees remain.

The core grievance centers on insufficient funding for city care to support tariff reforms, especially for technical procedures whose rates have not been updated since the 1990s, with objections to unilateral tariff cuts without social dialogue.

The strike is expected to shift non-urgent patient care away from emergency and maternity services to public hospitals, and private hospital groups forecast significant operation-room closures.

Demands include preserving prescription freedom and opposing limits on the duration of sick-leave authorizations as part of broader regulatory changes.

The final PLFSS includes multiple provisions affecting healthcare professionals, which doctors say justify withdrawing from patient services, even though specific measures aren’t detailed in the briefing.

The movement is being coordinated by the Confederation of French Medical Unions (CSMF) and allied unions, signaling strong collective anger over the budget provisions.

Public and professional mobilization is extensive, with about 13,500 doctors indicating involvement, 85% of affiliated members expected to strike per CSMF, and strong backing from the private hospital federation (FHP) and numerous specialties including surgeons, gynecologists, and anesthesiologists.