Europeupdated 1h ago3 min read
Macron Rejects Laurent Nunez Resignation After France Detains 2,400 During Unrest
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Macron refused Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's resignation amid two days of unrest and 2,400 arrests. Emergency measures discussed include localized curfews and potential state of emergency across cities.
33 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Marine Le Pen’s National Rally Profits From France Riots as Macron Faces Criticism →
France unrest and detentions
France held crisis talks after more than 2,400 people were detained during two days of unrest across the country, with President Emmanuel Macron rejecting Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's resignation after Nunez acknowledged that police had "lost control" of demonstrations. France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an emergency cabinet session on Monday, and Macron used a televised address to condemn the "shocking scenes" and those he called "dissenters" who had vandalized cities. France's Interior Ministry said about 1,000 officers were injured, seven of them seriously, as police responded with tear gas, water cannon and baton charges during violence that included vehicles set ablaze across Paris and other cities.
In Limoges, flames destroyed the 19th-century town hall and caused its roof to collapse, while looting was reported in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg and elsewhere. Albania also saw unrest, with Prime Minister Edi Rama refusing to resign after six days of violent anti-government protests in the capital Tirana.
Macron keeps Nunez
Macron asked Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to examine how to make France's streets safer and to bring the perpetrators of the weekend violence to justice after Nuñez tried to hand in his resignation, the Élysée Palace said. Nuñez acknowledged that authorities had "lost control" in some large cities on Saturday, and he said, "You cannot look shopkeepers in the eye and say we have not lost control in some of these large cities." Macron rejected Nuñez's resignation "given the need to maintain command of the security forces in the current context," and Macron ordered Nuñez "to take all necessary measures to ensure full transparency" about planning failures and intelligence gathering.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said curfews in "certain places" would start this Monday and that a state of emergency would be instituted "if deemed useful," while he added that curfews "seem more appropriate." Lecornu accused the "ultra-left movement" of wanting to "organize deep disorder in the country until the presidential election," after acts of violence outside the marches.
Europe-wide ripple effects
AP said social unrest is setting Europe’s streets ablaze, linking demonstrations across France, Italy and Albania to rising fuel costs, discontent with the state of schools, declining public services and a housing crisis. AP reported that the weekend unrest in France led to 2,400 arrests and serious disturbances in parts of France, including looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux, while Limoges saw flames engulf the 19th-century City Hall. AP also said protests in Spain and Portugal included tent camps against unattainable rents and housing costs, and it quoted María Silvestre, professor of sociology at the University of Deusto in Spain, saying, "a spark suddenly ignites that is capable of channeling that discontent".
El Imparcial said the rise in the cost of living was not exclusive to France and pointed to similar protests in Italy, Belgium, and Albania, with the common trigger tied to high fuel prices influenced by the armed conflict in Iran. El Imparcial added that the disturbances spilled into the economy and financial markets as France faced a key budget bill debate six months ahead of the next presidential elections, with Deutsche Bank analyst Jim Reid warning of a "trust test" from investors.