Macron rejects interior minister's resignation after riots in France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, 19 October, refused to accept an offer of resignation from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, made after widespread riots across the country over the weekend. The unrest was accompanied by criticism of failures in anticipation and intelligence, which were judged to have worsened the crisis.

According to the Élysée Palace, as quoted by Reuters, Macron believes the minister should stay in order to preserve the chain of command within the police and security forces. The president has asked Nuñez to put new approaches for dealing with looters in place as quickly as possible, and to introduce new operational methods for security forces.

Saturday: among the most violent days of unrest in years

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, angered by rising living costs and declining public services. Public buildings were burned, hundreds of shops were destroyed and looted, and at least 2,400 people were arrested nationwide. In a television interview, Nuñez admitted that police "lost control" in some cities during the protests.

In a televised address on Sunday evening, Macron condemned "unbridled violence" and asked how French people could do this to France.

Protests spread to Italy

On Sunday in Milan, Italian police clashed with demonstrators who threw stones and looted shops during protests over the cost of living. Police used teargas and water cannon. In southern Italy, lorry drivers blocked roads in protest at soaring fuel prices linked to the war in Iran. Hundreds of petrol stations have run out of fuel, and supermarkets are reporting shortages of some products, particularly fresh food.

Pasquale Russo, president of Conftrasporto, an association of Italian haulage companies, urged the government to urgently convene a meeting with industry associations, warning that otherwise a nationwide strike would be considered.