Today, Monday (October 19), French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the resignation of his Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, according to the Elysee Palace, against the backdrop of the violence that broke out across the country over the weekend.
The Elysee Palace reported, “The Minister of the Interior submitted his resignation to the President of the Republic on Sunday, but the President rejected it, due to the need for continuity of leadership of the security forces under the current circumstances.”
The French Interior Minister acknowledged that the police "lost control" in some cities during the violence that broke out across the country during protests last weekend.
He pointed out that there were "gaps in anticipating" events during the preparations, and said that he submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron "because he felt responsible for what happened."
For his part, the French President, who is facing pressure following the violence on the sidelines of the protests, admitted that there were “failures in being proactive and gathering intelligence information.”
The French President had instructed the Minister of the Interior to take all necessary measures to transparently reveal the failures in anticipation and gathering intelligence information that led to the outbreak of violence.
This came amid demands from a number of opposition representatives, especially from the far right, for the resignation of Nuñez, who has been in office for only one year.
Macron requests a review of the performance of the security services
The French presidency explained that Macron asked Nuñez to “establish new working methods for the internal security forces on the ground as soon as possible, to confront saboteurs,” with the aim of “putting an end to the phenomena of setting up barricades and acts of looting.”
The French authorities are seeking to contain the anger and fears resulting from their management of the protests against the high cost of living, which turned into unprecedented violence on Saturday, heralding a political crisis.
The events resulted in the arrest of about 2,400 people, and nearly a thousand members of the security forces were injured, according to the French authorities.
The Minister of the Interior is scheduled to go on Monday to the coastal city of Marseille in southern France, which was one of the cities most affected by the violence, as the authorities estimated the number of participants in the looting on Saturday at about 30,000 people.
In a televised speech on Sunday evening, the French president, whose popularity had reached its lowest levels after nearly ten years in power, addressed the French people, expressing his feeling of “anger and shame,” without announcing any concrete measures. He also stressed that “those who sought to overthrow the republic will bear responsibility for their actions.”
Amid the state of chaos the country is witnessing, Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorno will hold a meeting on Monday morning for a joint ministerial crisis cell, which will address three axes: “economy and trade,” “insurance,” and “judicial follow-up,” according to what his office said.
The German Foreign Ministry warns its citizens in France
The German Foreign Ministry called on its citizens in France to be careful, warning of the possible consequences if they violate the instructions.
The travel guidelines published on the ministry’s website stated: “Be vigilant and avoid demonstration sites as much as possible.” The ministry also indicated the possibility of escalating protests, “and perhaps riots as well, in the coming days.”
The Ministry called on travelers to adhere to the instructions of the French security forces, explaining that "under new legal amendments, individuals may face financial fines and claims for damages if they do not leave the sites of unauthorized or violent demonstrations, upon receiving an order to do so."
