French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged intelligence and planning failures following violent protests that rocked the country, while refusing to accept the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
The admission came on Monday as the French government faced mounting pressure over its handling of demonstrations over the cost of living, which escalated into some of the worst urban violence the country has experienced in years.
According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 2,400 people were arrested during Saturday’s unrest, while almost 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured. The demonstrations were marked by clashes between security forces and protesters, widespread looting and fires across the country.
The unrest prompted opposition politicians to call for Nunez’s removal over concerns about the authorities’ preparedness and response to the violence.
However, the presidential palace, known as the Elysee, said Macron had rejected the interior minister’s resignation, stressing the need for continued leadership of the security forces during the crisis.
“The interior minister submitted his resignation to the president on Sunday,” the Elysee palace said in a statement.
“Given the necessity for continued leadership of law enforcement at this time, the president refused.”
The palace added that Macron had instructed Nunez to investigate the security shortcomings that contributed to the unrest and ensure greater transparency over what went wrong.
Macron had asked the minister to “take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over the failures in planning and intelligence that led to the violence”, the statement said.
The president also directed Nunez to introduce new operational methods for security forces to improve their response to the ongoing crisis.
The admission of intelligence and planning failures comes as the French government faces growing scrutiny over its ability to maintain public order amid mounting economic and social pressures.
Source: AFP
