There has been speculation for days whether French President Emmanuel Macron can really come to Germany for a state visit in view of the unrest in his country. In a telephone conversation with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Macron canceled the visit on Saturday afternoon. The cabinet of the Federal President announced that the planned trip from Sunday to Tuesday should be made up as soon as possible. The Élysée Palace in Paris also confirmed the cancellation.
Background is the ongoing riots in the neighboring country after the death of a 17-year-old during a police check near Paris on Tuesday. For the fourth night in a row there were riots from Friday to Saturday with hundreds of arrests, looting and arson. On Saturday afternoon everyone looked back at Nanterre, the hometown of the 17-year-old who was shot. According to the daily newspaper “Le Parisien”, a funeral service started at the mosque around noon. The family had wished that no press would be present at the funeral service and subsequent burial.
The newspaper “Le Figaro” reported that hundreds of people attended the funeral ceremonies. It was feared that the funeral could heat up the situation again.
Macron informed Steinmeier by telephone about the situation in France and asked him to postpone the state visit, according to the Cabinet of the Federal President. Steinmeier regretted the cancellation, but I fully understand the situation in the neighboring country. The Federal President is following developments with great attention. He hopes “that the violence in the street will stop as soon as possible and that social peace can be restored,” said Steinmeier.
A state visit has been on the agenda for months
The state visit between Berlin and Paris had been meticulously prepared for months: the Macrons were initially to be received with military honors by Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender in front of the residential palace in Ludwigsburg (Baden-Württemberg). A visit to Berlin was also on the agenda, with a state banquet in the park of Schloss Bellevue, a trip by special train to Dresden and, as a highlight, a keynote address on Franco-German relations in front of the Frauenkirche. The strictly planned plan with many participants in many places would be logistically difficult to implement quickly or “as soon as possible”.
It would be the first state visit by a French president to Germany in 23 years. From the point of view of the Cabinet of the Federal President, the Franco-German friendship must be celebrated and a new chapter opened at the same time. Both parties have been trying to get closer to each other for some time now. A few weeks ago, Macron was the first head of state to visit Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at his residence in Potsdam.
But now foreign policy has to wait and Macron has to take charge of domestic politics again. It is not the first time this year: in the spring, the visit of the British King Charles III was canceled because of the French pension protests. canceled in France at short notice.
Fourth night in a row of riots: 45,000 police officers on duty
Early Saturday morning, after another night of violence, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said it was “less intense” than before. However, the figures he presented were not very reassuring: 1,311 arrests – considerably more than the previous nights -, 406 of them in Paris alone, and 79 injured police officers.
According to the information, 45,000 police officers were on duty throughout the country during the night. Despite the massive presence of armored vehicles and helicopters, fires and looting broke out in many places. The Ministry of the Interior counted 2,560 fires on public roads, 1,350 burned-out cars and attacks on 31 police stations.
Shops and arsenal looted
According to media reports, an arsenal has been looted in the port city of Marseille. Seven guns were stolen. The police union Alliance Police spoke on the franceinfo television channel of a “night full of chaos with scenes of unprecedented violence against the police, looting, mortar fire”. A post office has exploded in Lyon. City halls were set on fire across the country.
According to a message from television channel BFMTV, Macron would like to meet several mayors on Saturday to discuss the situation. Some local politicians had called for a curfew and police reinforcements.
The riots started on Tuesday. Nahel, 17, was stopped behind the wheel of a car by a motorcycle patrol in Nanterre near Paris. When the young man suddenly drove away, a fatal shot was fired from a police officer’s service weapon. The police officer responsible for his death has been arrested. A formal manslaughter investigation has been launched against him.
(sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
