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Sébastien Lecornu is sworn in as France’s new Prime Minister after François Bayrou’s government collapsed in a failed confidence vote on September 8. His appointment comes amid mass protests and strikes against Bayrou’s proposed 2026 budget, which sought to cut €43.8 billion from public spending. Demonstrators calling to “block everything” set fires and blocked highways and gas stations nationwide. Authorities deployed 80,000 police and gendarmes, making over 200 arrests by mid-morning, with tear gas used to disperse crowds as unrest spreads across France.
Wednesday, 10 September, 2025