French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu visited Gironde on Monday, August 17, to present rebuilding measures after wildfires destroyed more than 42,000 hectares of forest in southwestern France.
Lecornu was accompanied by six government ministers during his visit to the towns of Le Porge and Mérignac, where hundreds of homes were destroyed during the blazes in late July and early August. He estimated that total state support for affected communities, residents, and businesses could exceed 100 million euros.
Gironde and the neighboring department of Landes are located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, home to vast pine forests along the Atlantic coast. The fires brought the local economy to a sudden standstill and hit the tourist industry hard, with visitor numbers in Gironde dropping by half between late July and mid-August compared to the previous year.
Operational transparency and emergency rehousing
To address concerns from local residents and officials, Lecornu promised full transparency regarding how emergency operations were conducted during the crisis. He emphasized that the government had nothing to hide about how decisions were made on the ground.
He announced that public meetings will be organized to trace the response minute by minute and detail how key choices were reached. He explained that complete openness was essential to help guide and support a region that has been left deeply shaken.
The prime minister pledged direct financial assistance for wildfire victims, describing government backing as heavy support designed to aid local authorities. He promised to increase funding for emergency rehousing to ensure that both medium and long term housing solutions are established for displaced families.
Funding allocations and building permit rules
As part of the initial financial response, 12 million euros have been unlocked specifically for local authorities across Gironde and Landes. Lecornu explained that this money will allow municipalities to start essential reconstruction work and design localized recovery plans.
He advocated for decentralizing recovery efforts, noting that reducing direct management from Paris would give local authorities greater capacity and flexibility to respond to community needs.
To accelerate housing reconstruction, Lecornu announced that building permits for identical replacement homes will be granted within one month. For more complex or delicate rebuilds, he instructed a government support mission to quickly establish a streamlined framework to issue permits without delay.
Pressure on insurance companies
Lecornu took a direct stance against insurance companies after listening to complaints from local property owners during his visit. He stated that government representatives had faced anger from residents on behalf of insurers and promised to pass those complaints directly to company executives.
He announced that the state will actively intervene in relationships between policyholders and insurance firms during the claims process. The government plans to publicly identify which insurers cooperate with affected policyholders and which ones do not.
In France, natural disaster declarations usually dictate insurance payouts following major environmental events, but administrative friction often delays rebuilding efforts for property owners seeking compensation.
Tax relief and business support
To prevent business bankruptcies across the region, the government is launching a targeted economic assistance plan. Lecornu announced that social security contributions for affected companies will be completely erased for three months, rather than simply deferred to a later date.
The government will also step in to pay local property taxes on behalf of eligible businesses. Lecornu confirmed that this measure will be included in the initial draft of the 2027 finance bill, acknowledging that while it will be costly for public finances, he accepts full responsibility for the expense.
In addition, specific tax measures will be implemented to support the forestry sector, which sustained major losses across commercial timber tracts in the region.
Brush clearing rules and budget approval
Lecornu emphasized the need to balance rapid emergency relief with careful reflection on long term prevention. He pointed out that legal obligations for brush clearing had not been well respected prior to the fires, stressing that this failure had significant consequences for the region.
Under French law, property owners living near forest zones are legally required to clear underbrush, low branches, and dense vegetation within designated distances of their homes to create defensive firebreaks.
To ensure that all planned financial aid can be delivered, Lecornu urged parliamentarians to vote in favor of the upcoming 2027 budget bill. Securing parliamentary approval for the budget represents a politically sensitive hurdle for the government, coming just months ahead of the 2027 French presidential election.
