Sébastien Lecornu named French PM as a protest sweeping the country

The new French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, assumes the office on Wednesday under the shadow of national demonstrations which should disrupt schools, transport and public services.

The demonstrations, organized by the left collective linked to the left “block everything”, reflect a growing dissatisfaction with the public with the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron.

Lecornu, 39, an ally of Macron of confidence who has been Minister of Defense in the past three years, was appointed Prime Minister on Tuesday evening. His appointment follows the resignation of François Bayrou, who was forced to resign after losing a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Bayrou’s resignation comes from its thrust for austerity measures aimed at reducing France’s growing debt, a package facing intense opposition. It is not clear how Lecornu plans to navigate the same challenge and guarantee parliamentary approval of the national budget.

Power transition

The official transfer between Bayrou and Lecornu is scheduled for Wednesday at noon (10:00 GMT). The presidency said: “The president is convinced that (under Lecornu), an agreement between political forces is possible, while respecting everyone’s convictions.”

Macron, who would play a critical international role in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, was under pressure to appoint a Prime Minister capable of stabilizing domestic policy. Lecornu, considered a discreet but effective strategist, has the advantage, at least in the eyes of Macron, not to suck in the presidency itself.

A record for political instability

Although Lecornu was considered for the role in December, Bayrou would have convinced Macron to choose it instead. Lecornu has now become the seventh French Prime Minister since 2017, the fifth since Macron’s second term began in 2022 and the third in a single year.

He is confronted with the challenge of forging parliamentary alliances and avoiding the fate of Bayrou, with the ultimate goal of staying in office until Macron’s mandate ends in 2027. On X, Lecornu promised that his government would work for “political and institutional stability for the country’s unity”.

The magnitude of Wednesday events remains uncertain. The main unions are not directly involved, rather choosing to focus on a broader national strike scheduled for September 18. However, the “Block Everything” initiative has sufficiently alarmed the government to mobilize 80,000 police officers across the country.

The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, warned against “zero tolerance” for violence or attempts to block key sites, noting that the authorities monitor vital infrastructure, including oil refineries. He stressed that France needs a functional government “to embody the authority” of the State, and accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed (LFI) of fueling “an insurrection climate”.

Expected impact on transport and services

While high -speed French trains and most Paris metro lines should operate normally, regional rail, suburban services and airports are preparing for disturbances. Travel delays are planned for Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly airports, among others.

The decentralized nature of demonstrations, spreading to rural areas and small cities, evokes memories of the 2018 yellow vest movement, which tested Macron’s first mandate. Unlike this uprising, analysts say that this wave of disorders is firmly rooted in the left and attracted younger intellectual participants.

The Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said that he thought that the “radical left” is orchestra the demonstrations, aimed at “spectacular actions” but lacking wider support from civil society.

The demonstrators’ requests range from the abolition of Bayrou’s controversial proposal to eliminate two holidays to reduce medical costs for workers and to extend sick leave services.

Bayrou had argued that France needed 44 billion euros ($ 52 billion) in spending discounts to slow down public debt and restore financial stability, a position that finally cost it its position.