French Prime Minister: We May Declare a State of Emergency if Necessary

Al-Taj News – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday that the government may resort to declaring a state of emergency if necessary, amid the unrest and violent protests the country is witnessing.

Lecornu added, following an emergency meeting, that he was “fully determined to restore order,” but considered that a state of emergency remains a very serious measure, including in terms of its implementation.

He explained that imposing and enforcing a curfew appears, at the present time, to be more suitable for the situation the country may face.

Earlier today, the Élysée Palace announced that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, but the president rejected it due to the need to maintain continuity in the leadership of the security forces under the current circumstances.

A statement by the Élysée Palace said that Macron had asked Nuñez to “put in place new methods of operation for the internal security forces on the ground as soon as possible, to confront the saboteurs,” with the aim of “putting an end to the phenomena of erecting barricades and acts of looting.”