Macron Rejects Interior Minister’s Resignation Over France Protest Violence
French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez following widespread violence that erupted during protests over the rising cost of living, despite acknowledging intelligence and security planning failures.
The French presidency disclosed on Monday that Nuñez had offered to step down on Sunday amid mounting criticism from opposition politicians over the government’s handling of the demonstrations.
However, Macron declined the offer, insisting that continuity in security leadership was necessary as authorities worked to restore order across the country.
The unrest, which escalated on Saturday, resulted in nearly 2,400 arrests, while almost 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, according to figures released by the Interior Ministry.
Clashes between demonstrators and security personnel, alongside widespread looting and fires, marked one of France’s most severe episodes of urban violence in recent years.
In response to the crisis, Macron directed Nuñez to take all necessary measures to establish transparency over the failures in intelligence gathering and security preparations that preceded the violence.
The president also tasked the interior minister with developing new operational strategies to improve the response of security forces to similar incidents.
The government’s handling of the protests has come under intense scrutiny, with opposition figures demanding accountability over the scale of the violence and the apparent shortcomings in security planning.
Despite the pressure, Macron’s decision to retain Nuñez signals his administration’s preference for maintaining the current security leadership while efforts continue to address the crisis.
