Fire near French PM’s office sparks alarm one day after Lecornu steps down video

Explosions were heard in central Paris shortly before a van burst into flames near the French Prime Minister’s Office, only a day after the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

According to foreign media, witnesses reported hearing three loud explosions close to the Hôtel Matignon, where Lecornu had been scheduled to hold meetings following his resignation. Images from the scene showed a van engulfed in flames as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

Local media said the fire was contained to the vehicle and did not spread to nearby buildings. The cause of the explosions remains unclear, though a firefighter at the scene told reporters that the incident appeared to result from a mechanical fault in the company’s equipment.

Photos shared on social media indicate the van belonged to a public lighting company. Authorities have cordoned off Rue de Varenne, where the incident occurred, and stationed police officers to block access.

Lecornu’s resignation, announced on October 6, came just one day after he appointed his cabinet and less than a month — 27 days — after taking office. The former defence minister was due to present his general policy statement to the National Assembly on October 7. His departure marks the shortest-lived government in the history of France’s Fifth Republic and makes him the fifth prime minister to step down within two years.

In his resignation statement, Lecornu said, “The conditions were no longer met for me to be able to exercise my functions and allow the government to go before the National Assembly tomorrow.” He criticised the political climate, adding that “these political parties sometimes pretended not to see the change, the profound rupture, not to use Article 49.3. There was no longer any pretext for parliamentarians to refuse to do their job.”

Article 49.3 of the French Constitution enables the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote.

Following Lecornu’s resignation, President Emmanuel Macron asked him to resume dialogue with opposition forces in an effort to ease the political instability currently gripping the country.

By Tamilla Hasanova