Macron Rejects Interior Minister's Resignation After Deadly Weekend Riots

French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's resignation on Monday, stating that continuity in law enforcement leadership is needed during the ongoing crisis. Nunez had submitted his resignation following a weekend of violent rioting that killed at least two people and left hundreds injured across France.

The unrest erupted on Saturday after approximately 550,000 largely peaceful protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against rising living costs, deteriorating public services, and school conditions. The peaceful movement, which grew out of student-led rallies that began last month, descended into violence when groups of black-clad masked activists and vandals appeared. Rioters looted an estimated 1,500 shops and businesses, set fires to government buildings including the 143-year-old town hall in Limoges, and clashed with police across major cities including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. Police arrested approximately 2,400 people on Saturday alone, while about 1,000 police officers were injured, seven seriously.

In a televised national address on Sunday, Macron called for "calm and order" and drew a distinction between legitimate protesters and those who "destroyed, smashed and looted." He vowed that those responsible for violence would face justice, stating "Nothing justifies" the "unbridled" violence and that "those who destroyed must pay, those who looted must pay back." The president also said the government would establish "full transparency" regarding the police response and called for dialogue with students, teachers, and trade unionists on education policy and broader grievances.

Macron's response faced criticism from multiple political quarters. Left-wing La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the Interior Ministry and police of "complete incompetence," while the CGT union's Secretary General Sophie Binet said Macron failed to address students' concerns or the cost-of-living crisis. The government's preparedness for the demonstrations came under scrutiny, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convening a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday and the parliament's lower house president opening an inquiry into the weekend's events.

The Interior Ministry attributed the violence to "several thousand far-left individuals" determined to target public buildings, joined by "delinquents" engaged in looting. Despite criticism of his government's handling of the demonstrations, Macron chose to retain Nunez, arguing that established leadership must remain in place to manage the law enforcement response and prevent further escalation. Disorder continued on a smaller scale in Paris and Lyon on Sunday, with police deploying tear gas and stun grenades.