"Looting and Arson" Turns France Into Chaos… Years of Frustration Boiling Over?

[Anchor]

Fueled by public anger over high inflation and poor educational conditions, locations across France have descended into chaos. While consecutive damages such as store lootings and fires continue, authorities are struggling not only to assess the scale of the damage but even to manage the situation properly.

First, let us watch the report from our correspondent Kwon Yeongin in Paris, and then we will connect live to the scene.

[Reporter]

Last Saturday, storefront windows on the streets were smashed, goods were stolen indiscriminately, and the 143-year-old Limoges City Hall building was engulfed in flames.

Looting and arson continued across cities in France yesterday, Sunday (October 18).

Shared bicycles were set on fire to build barricades, and stolen goods from stores were shared as if showing them off.

Over the past two days, rallies protesting high inflation and fiscal deterioration were held in major French cities, with participants joining student demonstrations calling for improvements to poor educational environments.

On Saturday alone, an estimated 550,000 people according to police and 800,000 according to organizers joined the protests.

Fierce clashes broke out everywhere, and 2,400 people were arrested at the scene over the two days.

French authorities stated that about 1,000 people, including police officers and firefighters, were injured, with some suffering serious injuries.

[Françoise Faure / French Citizen: This is no longer acceptable. No more. I don't want a country like this. The country I live in now feels unfamiliar to me.]

While the number of looted stores is estimated to have reached around 1,500, the exact scale of the damage has not even been figured out yet.

While some cleanup work is underway in stores left in shambles, heavily damaged locations remain neglected as they are.

[Farida / French Citizen: If all protests end with store windows broken and shops ruined, that cannot be. This situation cannot continue. Absolutely not.]

President Emmanuel Macron stated in an emergency national address yesterday that he would draw up compensation plans for affected merchants and engage in dialogue with protest participants, but vowed a stern response to illegal acts such as looting.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin)

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[Anchor]

Next, we will connect to Paris to find out more details about the situation on the ground.

Correspondent Kwon Yeongin, looking at the previous report, the city of Paris was in complete disarray. What is the current situation like?

[Reporter]

It is currently daytime here on Monday in Paris.

Where I am standing right now is Place de la République, where the weekend protests began.

As you can see, the central monument in that square is covered in graffiti, and there is still an acrid smell of burning rubber in the air here.

And right over there, a completely burned-out car has been left abandoned.

On my way here, I could also see numerous shops with shattered windows and piles of trash scattered everywhere.

[Anchor]

Why is this protest spreading to this extent?

[Reporter]

To put it in one word, it is an explosion of accumulated grievances.

What triggered this situation was student demonstrations that started three weeks ago.

When I interviewed students who participated in the protests back then, the poor educational environment was beyond imagination.

There was a shortage of desks and chairs, forcing students to attend classes standing up.

And there were countless students who had to take university entrance exams without even being able to take classes in certain subjects due to a shortage of teachers.

Student protests demanding improvements to these conditions spread to one-third of schools nationwide, and sympathetic teachers, parents, and major labor organizations joined in, leading to the large-scale weekend rallies.

With school conditions like this, it is unlikely that other livelihood conditions would be fine.

Diesel prices here in Paris have surged by over 50% this year alone, exceeding 3 euros—over 4,500 won in Korean currency—per liter.

The accumulated grievances of people suffering from economic hardships due to soaring daily necessities and rent appear to have exploded during the large-scale weekend rallies.

[Anchor]

However, with President Macron's term nearing its end, will his administration be able to manage this situation?

[Reporter]

To give you the conclusion first, it will be difficult.

Improving school facilities is an urgent priority, but the budget prepared by the French government is only one-tenth of the required budget estimated by education organizations.

With severe financial difficulties, there is no extra money to spend.

France's national debt approaches 6 quadrillion won.

It accounts for 120% of GDP, and the annual interest payment alone exceeds approximately 100 trillion won.

With the 10-year government bond yield approaching 5%, the highest among major EU nations, there is also a lack of capacity to print more money.

Considering aging demographics and low growth rates, measures to cut fiscal spending, such as pension reforms, had been needed for a long time, but President Macron's reform attempts over the past nine years mostly failed, triggering the ruling party's defeat in the general elections.

France is scheduled to hold a presidential election in April next year.

President Macron's approval rating has plummeted to 15% near the end of his term, plunging him into a lame-duck phase.

However, the citizens' anger is currently not just a problem for France alone.

It is spreading across Europe to countries like Spain, Italy, and Belgium, creating an atmosphere where European society is suffering through sweeping turmoil.

(Camera Reporter: Kim Si-nae, Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.