Particle.news
Download on the App Store
134 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Lecornu Takes Office as France Faces ‘Block Everything’ Unrest and a High-Stakes Budget Fight

Macron’s loyalist seeks backing for a 2026 fiscal plan before early‑October deadlines in a deeply split 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.
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
A demonstrator kicks away a tear gas canister as people gather to block traffic at a roundabout at Pres d'Arenes in Montpellier, as part of a grassroots protest movement called "Bloquons Tout" ("Let's Block Everything") calling for nationwide all-day disruption, France, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz

Overview

  • Sebastien Lecornu, 39, was sworn in as prime minister a day after François Bayrou’s government fell in a 364–194 confidence vote over a €44 billion austerity plan.
  • Nationwide ‘Block Everything’ actions triggered transport and service disruptions as authorities deployed about 80,000 police and reported nearly 200 arrests in early hours.
  • Incidents included a bus set on fire in Rennes, attempts to block highways and stations in multiple cities, and damage to a rail power line that disrupted service in the southwest.
  • Lecornu must file the full 2026 budget draft by Oct. 7, with limited leeway to Oct. 13, and navigate a hung assembly to pass a slimmer package.
  • The appointment risks alienating Socialists as the far-right National Rally signals conditional cooperation on the budget, underscoring the fragile parliamentary arithmetic.