French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to accept the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, submitted after mass riots over the weekend. This was announced today by the French presidency, quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
The protests were provoked by growing public discontent over the rising cost of living, the deterioration of the quality of public services and problems in the education system.
Macron has said that Nunez must continue to fulfill his duties to preserve the established command structure in the police and security forces. The president has also instructed the interior minister to develop new approaches to dealing with people involved in looting as soon as possible, the Elysee Palace said.
On Saturday, protests in various parts of the country turned into riots. A municipal administration building was set on fire, shops were looted, and graffiti appeared on the facades of buildings. In a number of cities, clashes between aggressive groups and the police occurred.
The tension continued yesterday, when new clashes broke out in Paris and Marseille. Riot police intervened to prevent attempts to loot commercial establishments.