French President Emmanuel Macron has admitted that lapses in intelligence gathering and security planning contributed to the widespread violence that rocked the country, while rejecting the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
The Élysée Palace confirmed on Monday that Macron turned down Nuñez’s resignation, citing the need for continuity in law enforcement leadership as authorities grapple with the aftermath of the unrest.
The protests, sparked by public discontent over the rising cost of living, descended into widespread clashes, looting and arson, leaving hundreds of security personnel injured and thousands of people in police custody.
Figures released by the interior ministry showed that nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday, while close to 1,000 police officers and gendarmes sustained injuries during confrontations with protesters across France.
The scale of the violence triggered criticism from opposition politicians, some of whom demanded Nuñez’s dismissal over the authorities’ failure to anticipate and contain the disturbances.
According to the presidential palace, Nuñez offered to resign on Sunday, but Macron rejected the offer.
“The interior minister submitted his resignation to the president on Sunday,” the Élysée Palace said.
“Given the necessity for continued leadership of law enforcement at this time, the president refused.”
Despite retaining the minister, Macron ordered him to ensure transparency in investigating the lapses that allowed the demonstrations to spiral into violence.
The president also directed Nuñez to take all necessary measures to establish the circumstances surrounding the failures in anticipation and intelligence, while introducing new operational approaches for security forces.
The developments have intensified scrutiny of the French government’s handling of the protests, with questions mounting over the preparedness of security agencies and the effectiveness of measures adopted to prevent widespread disorder.
The government is now under pressure to demonstrate that lessons have been learnt from the unrest and that future demonstrations can be managed without a repeat of the extensive violence witnessed on Saturday.
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