President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the nation on Sunday evening after a weekend in which cost-of-living protests across France were marred by arson, looting and clashes with riot police. This is a new development after earlier reports that he would make an address.
According to Politico Europe, Macron said those responsible for destruction would have to pay for it, promised full transparency over what went wrong and said he wanted clear answers on why the protests turned violent. He blamed far-left fringe groups and other offenders for the disorder.
The interior ministry put arrests at around 2,000. Some on the left and the far right have called for Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to resign, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon's movement of playing a part, a claim Mélenchon rejects.
Source: Politico Europe
