French diplomats went on strike Thursday for the first time in 20 years to protest against reforms and budget cuts proposed by President Emmanuel Macron. The unusual strike action is a symptom of the simmering problems that have been affecting France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recent years as diplomats deal with existential questions about their shifting role.
In a rare occurrence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known in France as the Quai d’Orsay, six unions and a group of 500 young diplomats called a strike for June 2 to protest against Macron's reforms, which would change the structure of diplomatic careers. Many of those striking believe that this would mean "the end of French professional diplomacy”. The country has the world's third-largest diplomatic network behind the United States and China, with some 1,800 diplomats and about 13,500 officials working at the ministry.
