Macron: Large-scale demonstrations have broken out nationwide as Sébastien Lecornu takes office as France’s new prime minister, a development that has been dubbed the leader’s “baptism by fire.”
Street fights and violent riots occurred in France just one day after French President Emmanuel Macron named his close buddy the country’s new leader. Massive protests under the “Block Everything” campaign centred on Paris on Wednesday as calls for Macron’s resignation grew.
Lecornu, 39, is a dependable loyalist who was named France’s next prime minister by President Macron after François Bayrou was fired. It is noteworthy that he is the country’s fifth prime minister in less than two years, underscoring the current political unrest in the European nation.
Widespread Discontent in France
Protesters blocking roads and even burning a bus on Wednesday brought Paris to a complete halt as part of the “Bloquons Tout” (or “Block Everything”) movement. The Interior Ministry reports that a railway power line was damaged during the pandemonium, and that at least 200 people were arrested.
Bruno Retailleau, the interior minister, denounced the protests and charged that the demonstrators were “attempting to create a climate of insurrection.” Nearly 80,000 security forces were stationed throughout the nation, he stated, with 6,000 of them in Paris alone. Social media was inundated with videos of the disturbance, which showed demonstrators fighting with police, throwing debris, and burning garbage cans.
Macron is under increasing pressure to step down
President Macron has been under increasing pressure to step down since his reelection in 2022, and Wednesday’s protests clearly reflected this demand.
One demonstrator told AFP that Macron’s choice to name his buddy Lecornu as prime minister was “a slap in the face” and that “France needs change.” Likewise, a spokesperson for the RATP transport branch of the CGT Union told Reuters: “It’s the same nonsense, nothing changes.” The issue is not with the ministers, but with Macron.
In recent years, France has witnessed waves of rallies calling for Macron’s resignation.
Nationwide riots broke out in 2023 after 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk was killed in a police encounter.
More than a million people in France were mobilised by public fury over unpopular pension reforms.
French farmers protested declining food prices, reduced state diesel subsidies, and free trade agreements between the EU and the Mercosur alliance in South America by going on strike in 2024.
Macron has maintained his defiance and insisted he will not resign despite ongoing demonstrations. The opposition was also attacked by him, who called them “irresponsible” and “power-hungry.”