What changed
France’s government is under pressure after weekend protests over living costs and public services escalated into widespread looting and violence.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday after an estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted or destroyed. About 1,000 police officers were injured, seven seriously, while more than half a million people had initially joined mainly peaceful demonstrations.
Why it matters
The immediate problem is both political and practical: France must restore order while answering the grievances that brought people into the streets. President Emmanuel Macron called for national unity and punishment for those responsible, but announced no curfew or state of emergency. Critics say that leaves the government short on specifics.
The pressure now falls on Lecornu and Interior Minister, who face questions about why security preparations failed and how damaged businesses will be compensated. Parliament’s lower-house president, Yaël Braun-Pivet, wants an inquiry into what happened.
The timing makes the crisis harder to contain. More mass demonstrations are planned in about two weeks, while Macron is widely viewed as a lame-duck president ahead of an election in six months. France’s divided parliament and pressure to control rising public debt leave the government with little room: cutting public services could deepen the anger, but failing to address its financial problems carries its own political cost.
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