France to Impose Targeted Curfews Following Severe Street Riots

News Desk

PARIS: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Tuesday that local authorities will enforce new targeted curfews across affected regions, following a surge of severe street rioting that has shaken major urban centers across the country in recent days.

The central government faced sharp criticism after failing to anticipate the intense violent outbreaks over the weekend, prompting officials to introduce partial curfews in Paris and several key cities on Monday.

Writing on social media platform X, Lecornu noted that these localized nocturnal restrictions successfully contributed to restoring calm overnight, adding that decisions on additional curfews would now be made directly on the ground by regional prefects in close coordination with city mayors.

The intense wave of unrest comes at a politically sensitive juncture for the French administration, occurring just six months before the nation prepares to elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.

Opposition leaders have accused the government of security lapses and inadequate preparation in containing the widespread property damage and clashes with law enforcement personnel.

As security forces maintain a heightened state of readiness across major metropolitan zones, the French ministry of interior is expected to monitor nightly developments continuously.

Further high-level security consultations between regional administrators and law enforcement chiefs are scheduled to evaluate the necessity of expanding local curfews in the coming days.