October 17, 2026: Protesters on October 17 in Limoges set fire to the town hall of Limoges-Haute-Vienne in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
Elise Cabane | AFP | Getty Images
As France faces civil unrest, the French Senate passed a bill that would make rioters financially responsible for damages.
Under the so-called “mob payments” bill, demonstrators could be ordered to pay up to 10,000 euros ($11,140) “in compensation for damages resulting from crimes or crimes committed by force or violence.” Livelihood benefits may also be garnished to cover expenses.
The French government is grappling with violent protests across the country as it seeks to cut bloated state spending. What began as a student movement has spread into broader social unrest, with demonstrators’ demands ranging from more investment in education to assistance with living expenses.
Unrest reached a boiling point earlier this month when protests escalated into rioting, looting and violent clashes with police. More demonstrations are expected this weekend.
On October 21, French Economy Minister Laurent Lescure said in an interview that the violence and riots had caused damage worth “tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions” of euros.
Senators approved the “mob payments” bill on Wednesday, with 229 members voting yes and 105 voting against.
The government first introduced the bill to the Senate on September 16th. For a bill to become law, it must pass both the National Assembly and the House of Representatives.
Rights groups oppose mob pays bill
Under the proposed law, individuals could be held liable for harm they did not cause if they knowingly joined a group formed to carry out violence or property damage, or if they continued to participate in a violent gathering despite a police warning.
The proposal has drawn criticism from rights groups. Nathalie Godard, head of action at Amnesty International France, said in a statement that the bill “could further hinder people from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
“Holding demonstrators accountable and paying for acts committed by others creates a risk of arbitrary punishment and violates France’s international obligations,” she said.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, one of the three ministers who introduced the bill, urged MPs to support the bill, saying in a speech in the Senate this week that “we can no longer allow the majority of the population to pay for the costs of a few mobsters.”
Concerns over France’s fiscal credibility have weighed on the French government bond market, with government borrowing costs rising to a 24-year high in recent weeks.
French lawmakers are negotiating the 2027 budget, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu aiming to cut spending by 54 billion euros ($61.8 billion).
The country is currently subject to the EU’s excessive deficit procedure, which requires Paris to reduce the national deficit from 5.1% of GDP in 2025 to closer to 3% of GDP by 2029.
In recent years, disagreements over spending came to a head and the French government collapsed. Lecornu himself resigned less than a month into his term over budget divisions, but was reappointed days later by President Emmanuel Macron.
Concerns about France’s fiscal credibility are adding pressure. french bond marketgovernment borrowing costs have reached a 24-year high in recent weeks.
