France to deploy troops after unrest exposes security failures

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France will deploy troops alongside police and launch a major security operation ahead of planned protests on Saturday, as the government acknowledged failures in its response to last weekend’s riots and looting.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the priority was to restore order following violence in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted mistakes and accepted responsibility for shortcomings in the government’s response.

Lecornu said intelligence failures, static police deployments and the decision not to cancel planned police leave had weakened the response. Targeted curfews in affected areas helped restore calm and were extended through Tuesday night.

The government blamed far-left groups for the unrest, while critics argued that anger over rising living costs and declining public services had been underestimated. Parliament is preparing an inquiry into the causes of the violence, and authorities have assigned 200 investigators to identify those involved.

Police arrested a man suspected of starting the fire that destroyed a historic town hall in Limoges. Officials said he was on a security watch list and belonged to an ultra-left group.

The unrest has also affected businesses and financial markets. Carrefour reported losses worth tens of millions of euros from theft and damage, while French government borrowing costs rose to their highest level in 24 years for 10-year bonds.

Further demonstrations are planned for Saturday, with the student union UNEF protesting over education funding and groups identifying as Yellow Vests opposing rising fuel costs.

Meanwhile, riots also affected northern Italian cities, including Milan. Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the unrest as a form of “hybrid warfare” involving social media platforms. In Albania, protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government were expected to continue in Tirana for a seventh consecutive day.