(Adnkronos) – The French President, Emmanuel Macron, returning from a long mission in the Gulf, has convened a security council today at the Élysée to review the violence recorded during the October 17 demonstrations and to strengthen security measures in view of the new mobilization scheduled for Saturday. The meeting, scheduled for 10 am, will also focus on analyzing the critical issues that prevented anticipating and containing last weekend’s unrest.
The Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, and the heads of the intelligence services will participate in the meeting. At the end of the meeting, Macron is expected to release statements. The Head of State has already firmly condemned the episodes of violence, defined as “unacceptable” in several French cities, reiterating that “in a democracy, nothing justifies violence”.
In the early afternoon, however, Lecornu will receive representatives of political parties at Matignon, in the presence of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, and the heads of intelligence and law enforcement. The meeting takes place in a climate of strong political opposition. Lecornu has invited the parties to choose “between violence and the Republic,” with a polemical reference to Jean-Luc Melenchon’s France Insoumise, accused by the government of having fueled the protest. Accusations rejected by the movement.
Among the participants expected are, among others, Manuel Bompard for France Insoumise, Christophe Bechu for Horizons, and Marc Fesneau for MoDem. The Rassemblement National will not be represented by Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella. Also on the agenda is a meeting between Lecornu and the mayors of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, cities particularly affected by the unrest.
