Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered curfews in parts of Paris after France's worst rioting in years and said he is ready to declare a state of emergency 'if needed.' Will France declare one by Oct 26?

France had not declared a national state of emergency as of October 26, 2026, despite weeks of the country's worst rioting in years. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu had ordered curfews in parts of Paris and said he was ready to declare an emergency "if needed," but President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly declined to take that step. In an October 18 address, Macron said the government would instead let prefects ban protests where needed to protect public buildings and businesses, stopping short of a state of emergency or curfew. He reiterated on October 21 that the measure was unnecessary "for now," and by October 26 authorities said they were maintaining public order without one, even as officials warned that a planned Saturday protest remained high-risk.

Instead of an emergency declaration, the government tightened protest rules, permitting only union-organized demonstrations on October 24 and blaming hard-left groups for fueling the unrest. More than 2,400 people had been arrested nationwide by late October. The community leaned toward expecting a declaration, with 56% predicting YES, but the outcome went the other way: the government relied on targeted curfews and protest restrictions rather than a formal state of emergency.