Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has issued a stern warning regarding the current state of France, characterizing the nation as being in the midst of a "crisis of confidence" that constitutes a "threat to democracy." The National Rally leader directed her criticism toward the far left and President Emmanuel Macron, whom she described as a leader "without credibility or authority."
Le Pen’s comments were delivered less than two hours before an address by President Macron, which was scheduled for 20:00. Her party colleague, National Rally president Jordan Bardella, echoed these concerns during a visit to a Paris police station, asserting that "order no longer exists in France today" and claiming that the country was "humiliated" on Saturday night.
These political statements come as Paris experiences a resurgence of looting and violence, less than 24 hours after a day of widespread chaos across the country. Fresh scenes of unrest broke out on Sunday afternoon, with tensions concentrated in the heart of the capital, particularly around the Place de la République. Clashes erupted between several hundred rioters and law enforcement officers.
In response to the ongoing unrest, the CRS-8, a specialized riot police unit tasked with rapid response to urban disturbances, has been deployed for the second consecutive day. The Paris police prefecture reported that an "undeclared call to assemble at Place de la République today at 14:00 was circulated on social media," leading to groups of hooded youths attacking and looting local shops.
The scale of the disorder remains significant; for Saturday alone, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture recorded more than 30,000 looters, a figure that has left policing and justice experts stunned.
