Residents jeer French PM on visit to fire-hit region

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu faced jeers and anti-government slogans from residents on Monday as he arrived in Le Porge, a town in the Gironde region devastated by wildfires earlier this summer. Approximately 200 people, dressed in black, gathered to express their anger over the government's handling of the crisis, which has been described as the worst in France in decades.

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It would have been the least he could do

As Lecornu's car approached the town hall for a meeting with the mayor, the crowd shouted, "Where is he?" and "It would have been the least he could do" for the prime minister to meet them. Tony Veiga, a 65-year-old pensioner, stated, "It really amounts to treating us as if we don't matter." The prime minister's office claimed he had spoken with affected residents and farmers, asserting, "We have absolutely nothing to hide regarding how fire protection operations have been conducted."

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

Lecornu had made a prior, unannounced visit to Le Porge on Sunday. Anger simmers in the region, with some residents alleging that authorities prioritized fighting fires in the affluent Cap-Ferret peninsula over protecting their homes. Ludivine Daurignac, an organizer for a group of affected residents planning to file complaints, said, "He doesn't want to meet us; it's a shame. We had things we wanted to say." She added that riot police blocked their access.

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We have absolutely nothing to hide regarding how fire protection operations have been conducted over the past few weeks.

The wildfires, which burned through 42,000 hectares, were brought under control on August 1. This fire was the largest by surface area in France since 1949, coming within 15 kilometers of Bordeaux and forcing the evacuation of over 220,000 people. The government's response remains a point of contention for many affected by the destruction.

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