After the attack in Manchester, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday he will extend until November 1st, the state of emergency since the attacks in November 2015, and wants a new law against “terrorist threat”, which has never been higher.
At a meeting of the Defense Council, the second since his election, Emmanuel Macron announced he would ask parliament to extend the state of emergency which was to expire on the 15th July until the 1st November. The state of emergency decreed the end of 2015 after the jihadist attacks Bataclan and the Stade de France , the deadliest ever committed on French soil (130 dead), has already been extended five times. If the measure is passed and goes to its term, France will have experienced 23 months of uninterrupted emergency, a record.
The announcement comes two days after a bombing in Manchester, Great Britain, which killed 22 people including children, at the end of a concert. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.
The emergency law pending state
The head of state also asked the government to “provide enhanced security measures against the terrorist threat out of state of emergency so that a law be prepared in the coming weeks”, according to a statement from the Elysee.
Later after the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has linked the release of the state of emergency by the adoption of the new anti-terrorism text, which will include measures relating to shows and stages sports after the attack of Manchester.
“The extension (of the state of emergency) will be limited to the time required to review a bill that will enter into common law the latest measures to strengthen the existing arsenal, particularly to ensure a sustainable manner by appropriate administrative action, securing major cultural events, recreational or sports “ , Philippe said.
The state of emergency notably allows police to perform administrative searches, arrest people “whose activity is dangerous for security and public order”, banning meetings of any kind, the temporary closure of the show or meeting rooms. In March there were still sixty people under house arrest.
New anti-terror law
Since the attacks in January 2015, several laws against terrorism were passed . The last, in June 2016, in particular strengthens the baggage search devices, withholding of suspects time to control, jihadi returning home to France, and it broadens the right to use the armed forces. It increases the monitoring means, strengthens witness protection and extends the minimum term of the condemned.
The criminalization of the usual consultation of jihadist websites, has been found to violate the freedom of communication by the Constitutional Council.
Emmanuel Macron also “gave instructions for the implementation of the Services Coordination Center engaged in the fight against terrorism, the organization will be decided, under his authority, the Council of Defense and Security of here on the 7th June”, said the statement of the Presidency.
During the presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron has regularly highlighted the creation of a permanent staff of internal security operations, intelligence and the fight against terrorism as well as an “anti-Daesh task force” . “This is not a special force, it is a coordination that can act better on the ground”, he has said on Wednesday morning by the Interior Minister Gérard Collomb on BFM TV.
“The president wants to be informed in real time so to have weekly communication on the state of danger, the organization of services so that no bug as was have in the past but at the same time each minister is responsible “ , he added.
Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls ruled that the “task force” was “the right way” . “Anything that reinforces the centrality, coordination of internal and external intelligence services, is obviously going in the right direction”, he has said.
