Riots in France: Paris criticizes the words of a European commissioner

2023-07-06 17:53:57

The response was not long in coming. Laurence Boone, the Secretary of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in charge of Europe, criticized this Thursday the remarks made the day before by Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice on the maintenance of order in France. “I am very surprised because the maintenance of order is not part of European prerogatives”, reacted Laurence Boone on RFIbelieving that he had been wrong to leave his area of ​​expertise.

Interviewed this Wednesday, July 5 on La Première radio (RTBF) on the urban violence that has occurred in France since the death on June 27 of a 17-year-old boy killed by a police officer during a roadside check, Didier Reynders advocated “a reflection” on the organization of the maintenance of order.

” To draw conclusions “

Laurence Boone noted that Didier Reynders had also published a report on Wednesday, “as he does every year, on the rule of law in the countries of the union”. And, she underlines, “he notes the progress of France”, which has notably reinforced the workforce of justice. Faced with this “dramatic” situation which is “not unique to France, the time is to try to appease” and “no to small comments from people who do not have the skills to say that”, a- she also said.

She also indicated that the government was going to “draw conclusions” from these events for its public policy but that it was necessary to analyze the situation “calmly” and to question ourselves collectively in Europe, faced with a phenomenon that does not is not specific to France. “In 2011, in the United Kingdom, a year before the Olympics, there was the same thing,” she said, pointing out that similar events also occurred in Denmark and Sweden.

Additionally, she insisted that one person’s act did not reflect an entire profession. “Justice will do its job but we cannot say that there is systemic racism in the police” French, she said. “Yes, there was a yellow vests sequence, a retirement sequence” but “there is no security problem in France”, she assured.