French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 12 million euro emergency financial package in Mérignac on Monday to help rebuild regions devastated by summer wildfires. The funding targets local authorities in the southwestern departments of Gironde and Landes following widespread destruction from recent blazes.
The head of government was greeted by jeering residents upon his arrival in Gironde, where local citizens expressed anger over the state response to the crisis. Lecornu met with cabinet ministers, local elected officials, and regional business leaders during a round-table discussion before outlining the recovery strategy at a press conference.
Under the emergency package, Matignon confirmed that 10 million euros will go directly to Gironde, where a single megafire destroyed 42,000 hectares of land. The remaining two million euros will assist neighboring Landes, a department covered largely by the Landes forest, the largest man-made woodland in Western Europe.
Lecornu explained that local authorities had been put to a severe test and emphasized the importance of territorial solidarity across affected areas. He added that the emergency funds are available immediately, allowing municipalities to launch repair work without delay and construct broader economic recovery plans.
Tax relief for affected businesses
In addition to direct municipal funding, the government unveiled extensive tax relief measures for commercial operations impacted by the flames. Companies whose premises were destroyed in Gironde will receive full exemptions from property taxes and corporate property contributions, known in France as the CFE.
The state will also exempt businesses located in disaster zones or evacuated areas from paying social security contributions. Furthermore, central government authorities will pay the property tax owed by affected businesses directly to local councils so municipal budgets do not suffer revenue losses.
Addressing the financial impact, the Prime Minister acknowledged that waiving these taxes and contributions represented a radical measure that would prove costly for public finances. However, Lecornu stated that he accepted full responsibility for the expenditure given the severity of the damage.
Accelerated building permits and total costs
To speed up residential reconstruction, the government is streamlining planning rules for property owners rebuilding after the disaster. Lecornu declared that building permits for like-for-like home reconstructions will be issued within a single month, or potentially in less than a month.
The overall financial commitment for the regional recovery package could ultimately exceed 100 million euros as support programs roll out. Lecornu affirmed that total expenditures could reach that threshold very quickly, describing the sums involved as considerable.
Gironde and Landes lie within the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France, where Mérignac serves as a major commercial center near Bordeaux. The Hôtel de Matignon in Paris functions as the official office of the French Prime Minister, coordinating national relief efforts during severe environmental disasters.
