French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu arrives in Mayotte on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at accelerating reconstruction efforts that remain stalled a year and a half after Cyclone Chido devastated the Indian Ocean archipelago.
The Matignon chief, visiting the French overseas department from Wednesday noon until Thursday evening, admitted that the territory faces persistent difficulties, particularly regarding public access to clean water and healthcare services.
The visit marks Lecornu's first official trip to a French overseas department since his appointment as prime minister in autumn 2025.
In a letter sent on Monday to local mayors, Lecornu highlighted the urgent need to build and renovate schools as children returned to class earlier in the week. He also pointed to frustrating delays in delivering and commissioning public facilities across the islands.
Addressing local leaders, the prime minister acknowledged that these administrative delays feed a widespread public impatience that he fully understands and shares.
Reconstruction delays and funding allocations
Lecornu declared that the pace of rebuilding is too slow and pledged to push forward projects authorized under legislation passed in August 2025. That law was enacted to repair damage from Cyclone Chido, which hit the territory on December 14, 2024, killing at least 40 people and destroying thousands of homes.
The 2025 legislation earmarked approximately 4 billion euros in financial credits tied to a five-year strategy running from 2026 to 2031. However, official records show that only 12 percent of the funds voted and delegated for 2026 have actually been spent.
Despite the slow progress, Lecornu reaffirmed the definitive and irreversible status of major infrastructure projects. These key initiatives include building a second hospital, a new airport, a second prison, and a dedicated desalination plant to secure water supplies.
Mayotte is an island department located in the Mozambique Channel between East Africa and Madagascar. Lecornu attributed part of the project delays to recent national political instability in Paris, specifically the collapse of the government led by his predecessor, François Bayrou, following a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
Itinerary, border control, and regional politics
During his stay, the prime minister is scheduled to inspect a local security post, visit an urban renewal district, and meet with school pupils. He is also slated to deliver a speech before the Mayotte Assembly and meet with municipal mayors to discuss rebuilding logistics.
In his letter to mayors, Lecornu announced upcoming executive decisions to combat illegal immigration. According to figures from France's national statistics institute, Insee, foreign nationals make up roughly half of Mayotte's 323,000 residents, with the majority originating from the neighboring nation of Comoros.
Lecornu also promised new measures regarding civil-military oversight of French maritime waters in the strategic Indian Ocean region. The security situation remains a central issue in local politics, where far-right leader Marine Le Pen secured 59 percent of the vote in the second round of the 2022 French presidential election.
With the 2027 presidential campaign taking shape, political figures have increasingly focused on the archipelago. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe visited Mayotte last week, advancing several proposals intended to turn off the tap of immigration to the territory.
