Nuñez offered to step down after unrest swept through Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other urban centers, leaving hundreds of businesses damaged or looted and prompting the arrest of at least 2,400 people nationwide.
However, the French presidency announced Monday that Macron had asked the interior minister to remain in office, citing the urgent need for continuity in law enforcement leadership during the crisis.
According to a statement from Macron’s office, the president refused Nuñez’s resignation “given the need for continued command of law enforcement in the current context.”
Macron also directed the minister to investigate shortcomings in security preparations and intelligence gathering that may have contributed to the violence.
The president called for “full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence” and demanded the rapid introduction of new policing strategies to prevent further disturbances.
The unrest began Saturday during nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and deteriorating conditions in schools.
Although the protests were initially driven by economic and educational concerns, violence erupted in several cities as groups of demonstrators clashed with police, vandalized property and targeted businesses.
The disturbances continued into Sunday evening, when groups set fire to trash bins, bicycles and other objects in the streets while looting shops and commercial establishments.
Authorities reported that groups numbering in the hundreds deliberately sought confrontations with police and targeted public buildings, including city halls and government offices.
Speaking Monday on France Inter radio, Nuñez accepted responsibility for the security failures that allowed the violence to escalate.
“I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening,” he said.
The interior minister acknowledged that law enforcement agencies had struggled to anticipate and contain the rapidly changing demonstrations.
“Now, the real issue is ensuring that this doesn’t happen again,” Nuñez said, emphasizing the need for better intelligence and preparation.
He blamed much of the destruction on what he described as “hordes of troublemakers and looters” and “far-left activists,” accusing them of exploiting the demonstrations to engage in violence.
Nuñez also admitted that existing police tactics had proved inadequate against highly mobile groups that moved quickly between locations.
He said security forces would need to adapt their operational strategies to respond more effectively to such disturbances.
In a significant admission, the minister acknowledged that police had temporarily lost control in parts of several major cities during Saturday’s violence.
“You can’t look shopkeepers in the eye when hundreds of businesses have been looted and say we haven’t lost control in some of these major cities. Obviously,” Nuñez said.
The scale of the destruction has intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of public demonstrations and raised questions about the effectiveness of France’s security and intelligence operations.
Macron’s decision to retain Nuñez signals an effort to maintain stability within the government while demanding immediate improvements in public security.
With tensions remaining high, French authorities face mounting pressure to restore order, protect businesses and public property, and prevent further violence while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest.
