Emmanuel Macron has kept Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez in office after France’s weekend unrest. The presidency cited continuity in security command, while Nuñez acknowledged that police lost control in some cities. Macron demanded new operational methods and transparency over planning failures after protests over living costs and school conditions were followed by looting and arson.
French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation offer, the Élysée announced on Monday. The minister had offered to leave after violence in major cities on Saturday, October 17. The presidency cited the need for continuity in the command of police and security forces. Macron asked Nuñez to adopt new operational methods against looting and to make planning and intelligence failures transparent.[1], [2]
Nuñez acknowledged on Monday that police had lost control in some major cities. He said security deployments had not sufficiently anticipated the rioters around demonstrations and that available numbers were inadequate. About sixty thousand law-enforcement personnel had been deployed nationwide on Saturday, he said. After the damage to hundreds of shops, he considered submitting his resignation appropriate.[1]
The demonstrations followed weeks of high-school protests over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and underinvestment. Students seeking better educational conditions marched alongside people protesting living costs and deteriorating public services. More than half a million people took part on Saturday. Masked groups attacked town halls, police stations and other public buildings, and looting continued on Sunday. Nuñez remains in office as the government addresses the aftermath.[1]
