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5d ago

Lecornu Takes Office as France Faces ‘Block Everything’ Unrest and a Fraught Budget Test

Macron’s new prime minister faces an urgent 2026 budget deadline in a minority parliament.

TOPSHOT - Protesters set up a fire to block the Cadix viaduct during a demonstration as part of the "Bloquons tout" ("Let's block everything") protest movement, in Caen, north-western France, on September 10, 2025. The broad anti-government campaign, dubbed "Bloquons tout" ("Let's block everything"), calls for a a shutdown of France on September 10 with a string of protest actions and civil disobedience around the country, while the handover of power between the new Prime Minister and his predecessor, who suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote on September 8, is scheduled for the same day at noon. (Photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP) (Photo by LOU BENOIST/AFP via Getty Images)
Police officers in riot gear clash with demonstrators gathering in Paris.
‘Block Everything’ protest in France | Image: AP
French firefighters remove burnt objects from a barricade set up by students to block the traffic near a high school during a day of protests in Paris as part of a grassroots protest movement called "Bloquons Tout" ("Let's Block Everything") calling for nationwide all-day disruptions, France, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Overview

  • Sebastien Lecornu, 39, was sworn in as France’s fifth prime minister in two years after parliament ousted François Bayrou over roughly €44 billion in proposed spending cuts.
  • Decentralised ‘Block Everything’ protests spread across cities and towns, prompting an exceptional deployment of about 80,000 police and leading to road blockades and scuffles with security forces.
  • Authorities reported hundreds of arrests as incidents included a bus set on fire in Rennes and damage to power lines that disrupted some train services, with flight schedules also affected at major airports.
  • Lecornu must submit a full 2026 budget draft to parliament by Oct. 7, with limited leeway to Oct. 13, as he seeks to assemble support in a fragmented National Assembly.
  • The hard left said it will file a no-confidence motion, the far-right National Rally offered conditional cooperation on the budget, and Socialist leaders signaled possible talks if their priorities are reflected.