France's Government Under Pressure After Weekend of Widespread Violence
BBC News
Image source: AFP via Getty Images
Image caption: President Emmanuel Macron urged calm in his national address following widespread looting and violence.
By Katya Adler, Europe editor, Reporting from Paris
Published 7 minutes ago
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting across the country, marking some of the worst scenes of public disorder in modern French history.
On Saturday, over half a million mainly peaceful protesters demonstrated against rising living costs and dwindling access to decent public services, including education. However, the protests turned violent as groups of black-clad, masked activists and vandals appeared.
An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons on crowds, and were seen using batons in several locations. France's interior ministry reported that about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven seriously.
There were rumors in France that President Emmanuel Macron might introduce a temporary curfew or even a state of emergency. Ultimately, he addressed the nation on Sunday, calling for national unity and promising to punish the perpetrators of the violence.
Macron's speech has been criticized for lacking specific details, with political opponents and social media forums questioning its effectiveness.
Key Questions Arise:
- How will vandals and rioters be held accountable?
- How can France's towns and cities be better protected?
- How will destroyed businesses be compensated?
- When will a dialogue be established with students and teachers' bodies regarding education?
Union Leader Criticizes Macron
Sophie Binet, Secretary General of the CGT union, accused Macron of ignoring students' concerns, the cost-of-living crisis, and the declining quality of public services in France. She placed the blame on Prime Minister Lecornu, stating that he and his interior minister were unprepared and under-policed for the protests.
Parliamentary Inquiry Sought
Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France's lower house of parliament, called for an inquiry into the events of the weekend.
"Things are dark in the city of light," read graffiti daubed in red paint on a wall near shattered shops in Paris on Sunday night, reflecting the prevailing mood.
Macron's Legacy and Political Tensions
Macron is considered a lame-duck president, facing a hotly contested presidential election in six months. Both Marine Le Pen from the anti-immigration right and Jean-Luc Melenchon from the anti-capitalist left are strong contenders for the presidency. This adds to existing tensions in France, both politically and on the streets, with a deeply divided parliament and stalled financial reforms.