Macron rejects interior minister’s resignation after weekend riots

French President Emmanuel Macron has turned down Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s offer to resign after widespread rioting across France over the weekend.

The Elysee presidential office said on Monday that Macron wants Nunez to stay so the chain of command within the police and security forces stays in place.

Macron has also asked Nunez to come up with new ways to deal with looters as quickly as possible.

The protests have been driven by public anger over rising living costs, struggling public services and the state of schools.

Nationwide demonstrations turned into riots on Saturday. A town hall was set on fire, shops were looted and buildings were covered in graffiti as violent groups clashed with police in several cities.

More clashes broke out in Paris and Marseille on Sunday, where riot police stepped in to stop attempts to ransack businesses.

In a televised address on Sunday, Macron condemned the “shocking” scenes of violence, saying: “Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it”.

He ordered a review into whether there were failures in intelligence gathering or police preparedness before the protests. He also said prefects and mayors will be able to ban certain gatherings where necessary.

Macron has asked the government to bring together students, teachers, lawmakers, trade unions and business leaders this week to come up with “concrete proposals” to address the crisis.