French borrowing costs hit 24-year high as civil unrest and budget fears spook markets

<p>Yield on 10-year government bonds passes 5% amid failure to pass budget and fallout from violent street protests</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/oct/21/uk-inflation-jump-rising-motor-fuels-cost-jackdaw-gas-field-latest-news-updates"><strong>Business live – latest updates</strong></a></p></li></ul><p>France’s borrowing costs have climbed above 5% for the first time in 24 years as political concerns and the government’s failure to agree a much-delayed budget spook the financial markets.</p><p>With some civic buildings still smouldering from recent riots,a fresh bout of selling pushed up the yield – or interest rate - on bonds issued by the second-largest economy in the eurozone.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/21/french-borrowing-costs-failure-to-pass-budget-govenment-bonds-violent-street-protests">Continue reading...</a>