French PM jeered by wildfire victims angry over government response

Residents in southwestern France expressed their anger towards Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu as he arrived in Le Porge, a town ravaged by wildfires this summer. Approximately 200 people gathered, jeering and shouting anti-government slogans, frustrated by what they see as the government's inadequate response to the worst wildfire crisis in decades.

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It would have been the least he could do for the prime minister to meet the residents.

The fires, which swept through the Gironde region in late July and early August, destroyed 183 homes and at one point threatened the city of Bordeaux. The blaze consumed 42,000 hectares, making it the largest in France by surface area since 1949. Over 220,000 residents and tourists were evacuated.

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It really amounts to treating us as if we don't matter.

Some residents allege that authorities prioritized fighting fires in the upscale Cap-Ferret peninsula, a popular holiday spot for wealthy Parisians, over protecting local homes. "He doesn't want to meet us; it's a shame. We had things we wanted to say," said Ludivine Daurignac, an organizer for affected residents who plan to file complaints seeking "truth, transparency, and justice."

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He doesn't want to meet us; it's a shame. We had things we wanted to say.

Lecornu's office stated he had spoken with affected residents and farmers, asserting that "We have absolutely nothing to hide regarding how fire protection operations have been conducted." He had previously visited Le Porge unannounced on Sunday.

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We were met by lines of riot police blocking our access.