Emmanuel Macron rejects resignation of interior minister Laurent Nuñez

Published on 19/10/2026 - 9:26 GMT+2 After the serious violence in several major French cities on Saturday 17 October, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who refused to accept it. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a statement on Monday morning, the Élysée said Macron had asked Nuñez to deploy “new methods of action on the ground as quickly as possible (…) against violent rioters”. The presidency said it had turned down the resignation “in view of the need for continuous command of the security forces in the current context”. Macron also acknowledged “failures in anticipation and intelligence-gathering” that led to riots, destruction and the looting of numerous businesses. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to chair an interministerial crisis unit from 10:00 CEST. Meanwhile, Macron, who spoke about Saturday’s violence on Sunday evening, is pressing ahead with his diplomatic tour of the Gulf. From today, he will visit Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar as part of efforts to secure supplies of oil and diesel and bring down fuel prices.