France, Sept. 10 -- France's new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, was sworn in on Wednesday as protests under the banner "Block Everything" spread across the country, disrupting transport, schools and public services. He is the fifth person to hold the job in under two years.

Lecornu, 39, was named by President Emmanuel Macron late Tuesday after the resignation of Francois Bayrou, who lost a confidence vote in parliament. The formal handover between the two men was to take place at midday.

In his first statement after being appointed, Lecornu wrote on X that Macron had asked him to form a government with "a clear direction: the defence of our independence and power, serving the French people and maintaining political and institutional...