Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally and a presidential candidate, launched a sharp attack on the French executive on Wednesday, accusing it of losing control of the country in the aftermath of the violence that erupted around the October 17 demonstrations.
“We are facing a state that is collapsing,” Le Pen told franceinfo. “The government has lost control of everything.” She argued that the unrest had been foreseeable, pointing to what she described as years of “far-left rioters and suburban looters” operating with impunity.
Prime Minister Meets Unions as Crisis Deepens
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu received trade union organizations at Matignon on Wednesday to discuss the securing of protest marches and the government’s response to high school students — who were notably not invited to the meeting. The executive, determined first to restore order, is still searching for a way out of the crisis.
Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT union, warned as she arrived that the situation was “extremely serious” and rejected a security-only approach. “You don’t respond to a social mobilization with repression,” she said. “You respond to a social mobilization with political answers to the demands.”
Student Movement Widens
The student movement is spreading rapidly. According to Hélène Boulanger, vice-president of France Universités and president of the University of Lorraine, close to “90% of universities are affected,” with some experiencing blockades while others have been closed preventively by their administrations.
The Yellow Vest coordination announced it had filed a declaration with the prefecture to march in Paris on Saturday, from Bastille to Opéra. The CGT Paris and the Student Union have said they will also gather at Bastille.
Local Curfews Extended
Authorities have renewed or introduced curfews in several cities. Marseille has banned minors from circulating in part of the city center and several commercial zones from 10 p.m., while measures remain in place in Paris and Lyon. Toulouse will impose a nighttime curfew from Thursday to Sunday around the Capitole and central shopping streets.
The unrest has also disrupted sport: the Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Troyes scheduled for Saturday has been postponed to Sunday at the request of the prefecture, following the earlier postponement of a Ligue 2 fixture between Montpellier and Red Star.
Hollande Criticizes “Absent” President
Former president François Hollande, speaking on France Inter, described a “crisis of authority” and an “absent president of the Republic,” alongside “a weak government” and “a lack of experience in handling a major demonstration.” He nonetheless urged against “fixating” on the role of La France Insoumise, while reproaching the party for not having “clearly condemned the violence.”
Le Pen also questioned the effectiveness of the local curfews, saying she was “not at all sure the curfew is the cause of this lull,” and criticized plans for a counter-demonstration at her party’s congress in Orléans on Saturday. “We are not going to stop breathing because leftists have decided to bring down our democracy,” she said.
