Anti-riot police officers clash with protesters during the ‘Bloquons tout’ (‘Let's block everything’) protest movement, in Paris, on Wednesday Photograph: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty ImagesAnti-riot police officers clash with protesters during the ‘Bloquons tout’ (‘Let's block everything’) protest movement, in Paris, on Wednesday Photograph: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty ImagesShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureFrom 10 Sept 2025Summary of the day so farIt has just gone 3pm in Paris. Here is a summary of the day so far:
Sébastien Lecornu, picked by president Emmanuel Macron to be France’s fifth prime minister in two years, took office on a day of sprawling anti-government protests on Wednesday that underlined the depth of the country’s political crisis.
Lecornu, a conservative Macron protege who most recently served as his defence minister, arrived at the prime minister’s residence at midday where he met former prime minister François Bayrou, who was ousted by parliament on Monday over plans to trim the country’s outsized deficit.
France’s new prime minister promised a “profound break” with the past on Wednesday as he faced the thorny task of trying to build a government with enough parliamentary support to avoid an early demise. Lecornu said he would address the nation “in the coming days” to explain his approach, which would be different from the past, and “not just in method”.
