Macron keeps interior minister after weekend riots in France
French President Emmanuel Macron declined Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's offer to resign after widespread weekend riots. Macron announced the decision on 19 October 2026. The Guardian
In a televised address to the nation, Macron criticised "unbridled violence" over the weekend riots. He acknowledged "failures in anticipation and intelligence" that worsened the crisis in France. His remarks tied the scale of the disorder to shortcomings in preparation.
The unrest on Saturday left public buildings burned in cities across the country. Hundreds of shops were destroyed and looted during the violence. At least 2,400 people were arrested in cities across the country.
In a TV interview on 19 October 2026, Nuñez admitted police "lost control" in some cities during the protests. His assessment described officers unable to hold order in places where confrontations intensified. The comments came as the government faced the aftermath of burned buildings, looted stores and mass arrests.
Macron said Nuñez should stay to ensure a chain of command is retained within police and security forces. Continuity at the top of the interior ministry, he said, was needed to keep direction over officers and security units. He asked Nuñez to put in place new operational methods for security forces to deal with looters as quickly as possible.
The assignment makes changes to policing tactics the immediate priority for the interior ministry. It follows a weekend in which anticipation and intelligence were found wanting and control was lost in some cities.
