Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that France will impose new curfews in areas where the situation requires it, after a night that passed without major incidents across the country. The announcement came as the government, under mounting pressure, scheduled another round of emergency meetings, including talks with representatives of major social media platforms.
Speaking on X, Lecornu credited the targeted curfews introduced in several cities on Monday with helping to keep the night calm. "Targeted curfews have contributed to calm overnight," he wrote. "Tonight new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it. These decisions will be made on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors."
The unrest, which erupted following weeks of student demonstrations over poor learning conditions in high schools, escalated into some of the worst rioting France has seen in years on Saturday. The violence comes just six months before the country elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, and has intensified scrutiny of the government's ability to maintain public order.
Curfews and calm
Several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, and Nice, introduced partial curfews on Monday. While some restrictions, such as those in the capital, were initially limited to the night from Monday to Tuesday, others, particularly in Bordeaux and Nice, are set to remain in force for several days. During the night, a helicopter flew over Paris's Place de la République, one of the epicentres of the unrest, sweeping a powerful searchlight across the square to monitor compliance.
In Lyon, despite a ban on demonstrations, around 500 people gathered on Monday evening outside the tourism office that had been set on fire, to show support for shopkeepers affected by looting, according to organisers. The word "LYON" was spelled out on the ground with candles, and a banner hung on a fence nearby read "Anti-Rioters Lyon" and "Doucet Resign", referring to Green mayor Grégory Doucet, an AFP journalist reported.
The government's response has drawn criticism from opposition figures and business leaders. Patrick Martin, head of France's Medef business lobby group, accused the state of having "failed" during the urban unrest that hit at least 3,000 businesses, according to preliminary estimates. Finance Minister Roland Lescure pledged support measures for shopkeepers and craftspeople affected by the violence.
The unrest has also raised questions about the government's preparedness, with critics pointing to a failure to anticipate the scale of the protests. The situation has added to the political pressure on Macron, whose authority has been waning as France reels from the weekend's events. The government's handling of the crisis is likely to be a key issue in the upcoming presidential election.
As the government moves to restore order, the focus will be on balancing firmness with addressing the underlying grievances that have fuelled the protests. The new curfews, to be decided locally by prefects in coordination with mayors, are part of a broader effort to prevent further escalation. The emergency meetings on Tuesday, including those with social media platforms, suggest the government is also looking at how to counter the spread of calls for violence online.
The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the measures succeed in calming the situation. For now, the relative calm of Monday night offers a glimmer of hope, but the government remains on high alert as it seeks to navigate one of the most serious challenges of Macron's presidency.
