France: healthcare professionals protest against proposed regulation on physician practice locations
On April 29, 2025, thousands of medical students, interns, and young practitioners took to the streets of Paris and several other cities across France to protest a proposed law aimed at regulating where doctors can set up their practices. The movement, backed by the main unions in the profession, denounces what they see as a coercive and ineffective measure to address medical deserts.
Le 1er décembre lors de la première grève des médecins libéraux. © Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas via AFP
The bill, introduced by Socialist MP Guillaume Garot and supported by around 250 lawmakers, proposes restricting new medical practices in areas deemed sufficiently covered, unless another doctor leaves. Though passed in a first reading at the National Assembly, protesters argue that the legislation undermines freedom of establishment and poses a threat to the appeal of private practice.
According to Lucas Poittevin, president of the National Association of Medical Students of France (Anemf), “This bill doesn’t address the real problems in the healthcare system. The issue is not the distribution of doctors, but the shortage in numbers.”
In Paris, an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 demonstrators marched from the Panthéon to Place Vauban, chanting slogans such as “No to coercion” and “Liberty, equality—let me choose.” Protests also took place in Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Brest, Nantes, Bordeaux, and Besançon.
The ReAGJIR union (Autonomous Group of Young General Practitioners and Substitutes) has filed an indefinite national strike notice starting April 28, covering clinical practice, on-call care, emergency access services, and university-related duties.
Criticism of government measures
In response to the mobilization, Prime Minister François Bayrou announced a new “pact to fight medical deserts,” which includes a requirement for doctors to work up to two days per month in underserved areas. However, this measure has also come under fire from healthcare professionals, who view it as an added constraint that fails to meaningfully improve access to care.
Health Minister Yannick Neuder has voiced his opposition to coercive policies and pledged to uphold that stance during upcoming debates in Parliament.