He made the remarks on Monday, October 19, 2026, following unrest in several parts of France that has increased pressure on the government to take tougher measures to restore public order.
According to the French presidential office, the Élysée Palace, Macron acknowledged failures in identifying security threats and gathering intelligence that could have helped authorities prevent the unrest.
Despite criticising these shortcomings, Macron rejected the resignation of the Interior Minister, who had expressed a willingness to step down following the incidents.
The president instructed the minister to swiftly introduce new measures to address violent protesters, with the aim of preventing road blockades, looting and other activities that threaten public safety.
The Élysée Palace said the measures should be implemented by the country’s domestic security services to strengthen their capacity to respond to those responsible for the unrest.
The developments come as the French government faces mounting pressure to explain why last weekend’s demonstrations escalated into violence and why security agencies failed to prevent the disturbances in advance.
