Sébastien Lecornu was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron as the new Prime Minister after his predecessor François Bayrou lost a vote of confidence earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, the 39-year-old takes over the government. But a comprehensive protest movement is strongly dissatisfied with the appointment of Lecornu, who is seen as too close an ally to Macron – and is therefore not expected to bring about any major changes compared to before.
We are tired of these governments that he lines up, says demonstrator Florent in Lyon.
We demand change.
The big issue right now is France's state deficit and debt. Bayrou tried with a comprehensive savings package, but it was his downfall.
Under the slogan "Bloquons tout" (Block everything) demonstrators are trying to block streets and slow down community life in general on Wednesday.
80,000 police officers have been deployed throughout the country to handle the protests.
