Overview

• After the fall of François Bayrou’s government, Sébastien Lecornu has taken office as prime minister.
• The 18 September protests drew sharply different counts — about 500,000 according to police and about 1 million per the CGT.
• Trade unions say they want concrete answers following the mobilization and are maintaining pressure on the new cabinet.
• Questions over the 2026 budget and the new government’s fiscal roadmap remain unresolved.
• Media report a move to recognize the State of Palestine, alongside accounts of local service disruptions and significant public-order deployments.