Michel Fournier has announced that he will leave his position in the government, a move expected to take effect next week. As the deputy minister responsible for rural affairs, Fournier aims to return to leading the Association of Rural Mayors of France, a role he previously held until 2020. He stepped down from this position when he joined the government of Sébastien Lecornu in October 2025. During a government seminar organized by Lecornu on Thursday, September 17, Fournier confirmed his decision to leave the government to focus on the Association of Rural Mayors of France, as reported by Le Parisien. According to the Élysée Palace, Fournier had long discussed his departure with the Prime Minister, and the possibility of his leaving was part of the initial discussions when he joined the government in 2025. His responsibilities will be taken over by Françoise Gatel, the minister in charge of Territorial Planning and Decentralization. Michel Fournier, 76 years old, has been an independent mayor of Voivres, a small commune in the Vosges department with a population of around 300, since 1989. He has consistently advocated for rural communities and is expected to resume his leadership of the Association of Rural Mayors of France. Fournier had previously considered leaving the government before the March municipal elections. Born into a farming family, Fournier worked as an agricultural laborer, a roller shutter installer, a customs agent, a sales agent, and a florist before entering politics. He began his political career at the age of 33 as an opposition municipal councilor in Voivres. Generally regarded as a right-wing independent, Fournier has often emphasized his political autonomy, even displaying a plaque on the façade of his town hall that reads "Forever free and non-incorporable."