Protests Erupt in France as New Prime Minister is Sworn In

Sun Oct 19 2025 10:41:22 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Nationwide demonstrations led by grassroots movement 'Bloquons Tout' disrupt cities as new PM Sébastien Lecornu takes office amidst public discontent over budget cuts.

France is witnessing extensive protests across major cities as the grassroots movement 'Bloquons Tout' rallies against proposed budget cuts on the day new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is inaugurated. Demonstrators created chaos by blocking streets and clashing with police, voicing their discontent with the government and demanding reforms. The new PM faces immediate challenges including crafting a budget acceptable to a divided parliament.

France is seeing a day of protests led by a grassroots movement named Bloquons Tout (Let's Block Everything) in a show of anger against the political class and proposed budget cuts.

The demonstrations are taking place on the same day new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was sworn in following the toppling of his predecessor, François Bayrou, in a no-confidence vote earlier this week.

Demonstrators blocked streets, set bins on fire, and disrupted access to infrastructure and schools across the country. Around 250 people had been arrested by mid-morning, outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated. A bus was torched in Rennes, and electric cables near Toulouse were sabotaged, he added.

Several thousand people gathered in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Montpellier. However, the disruption has remained fairly small-scale. Most of the arrests were made in or around Paris, where about 1,000 protesters - many masked or wearing balaclavas - clashed with police outside Gare du Nord train station. Some attempted to enter the station but were thwarted by agents who fired tear gas.

Many protesters chanted political slogans against President Emmanuel Macron and Lecornu, carrying placards against the war in Gaza. The movement, which seems to have sprung up on social media, gained momentum over the summer, urging citizens to protest against Bayrou's €44bn budget cuts. Its demands include more investment in public services, higher taxes for wealthy individuals, rent freezes, and Macron's resignation.

Protesters expressed their fatigue with the government’s handling of France's economic crisis. Lecornu, a loyalist to Macron and the fifth prime minister in under two years, has already faced criticism from both the far right and left parties. He must now create a budget that can satisfy the divided Assembly, which recently brought down his predecessors.

In a speech after his appointment, Lecornu acknowledged the political instability and promised to engage with opposition parties and trade unions to tackle the crisis ahead.