French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation following a weekend of widespread violence and looting, citing the need to maintain continuity in the command of security forces, the Elysee Palace said on Monday.

Nuñez offered to resign on Sunday amid criticism of the authorities’ response to unrest that saw shops and public buildings attacked across the country.

The minister acknowledged that police had lost control in some cities and admitted there had been a failure to anticipate the scale of the demonstrations and deploy sufficient security forces.

“I am the minister of the interior, I am responsible for everything that happens on the ground,” Nuñez told France Inter radio, explaining his decision to offer his resignation.

Macron refused the offer but called for greater transparency over failures in planning and intelligence that contributed to the violence. He also instructed Nuñez to develop new approaches to tackling looting and disorder, according to the presidential office.

The unrest followed demonstrations involving students protesting conditions in schools and people angered by the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services. More than 2,300 people were arrested over the weekend, while nearly 1,000 police and gendarmes were injured, according to official figures.

The violence affected about 1,500 businesses, with the retail sector warning that losses could reach hundreds of millions of euros. In Lyon, a tourism office was burned, while the town hall in Limoges was largely destroyed by fire.

Macron condemned the destruction in a televised address on Sunday, saying those responsible would be held accountable. He distinguished violent acts from the grievances of peaceful demonstrators, who have raised concerns about living costs, education and public services.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was due to chair an interministerial crisis meeting on Monday to assess the damage and coordinate the government’s response. Local officials, including the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Limoges, have criticised the authorities’ handling of the unrest.

The unrest has intensified pressure on Macron’s government as France faces mounting social discontent ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The government has blamed radical groups and looters for the violence, while opposition figures have questioned whether authorities were adequately prepared for the scale of the protests. (ILKHA)