Key facts
- Riots and looting across France over the weekend are reshaping the 2027 presidential election.
- Far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen is positioning herself as the candidate of law and order.
- Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is navigating a difficult path between supporting protesters and condemning violence.
- Centrist candidates see an opportunity to gain ground by distancing themselves from President Emmanuel Macron.
- Over 3,000 shops were damaged and 2,400 people were arrested.
- The government is implementing support measures for affected businesses and increasing security.
Riots and looting across France over the weekend are threatening to reshape the 2027 presidential election, with far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen seizing on the crisis to cast herself as the candidate of law and order. The unrest, which saw over 3,000 shops damaged and 2,400 arrests, has also put far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon in a difficult position as rivals accuse him of encouraging the rage. Centrist candidates see an opportunity to gain ground by distancing themselves from President Emmanuel Macron, whose response to the nationwide vandalism is seen as lacking. The government is implementing support measures for affected businesses and increasing security.