Paris (Monitoring Desk): French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s offer to resign following violent protests across the country and instructed him to remain in office.
According to Reuters, the presidential office said on Monday that Macron had directed the interior minister to ensure continuity of command within the police and security agencies. The president also called for new procedures to be developed as quickly as possible to deal with looters.
The recent protests in France erupted amid public anger over inflation, rising living costs, deteriorating public services and problems facing educational institutions.
On Saturday, demonstrations turned violent in various parts of the country. Protesters set fire to a town hall, looted shops and spray-painted slogans and other messages on the walls of buildings. Clashes also broke out at several locations between police and violent groups.
Tensions continued on Sunday in Paris and Marseille, where police intervened to prevent attempts to loot commercial establishments.
President Macron’s decision to keep the interior minister in office comes as the French government faces mounting pressure to improve public order and address the public grievances behind the protests.