France to make vandals pay for damages after PSG victory riots

PARIS – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans for a new law aimed at making individuals responsible for public vandalism pay for the damages they cause. This initiative follows widespread urban violence that erupted in Paris after the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) team won the Champions League for the second consecutive year.

Lecornu revealed on X that a bill, titled "aiming to make perpetrators directly assume the cost of damage committed in public spaces," will be presented to the Council of Ministers in July. "In a context where our public finances are severely degraded and where every euro of public money must be used responsibly, it is no longer acceptable for the community to bear the cost of destruction committed by a few," the Prime Minister stated. The new legislation intends to hold anyone participating in violent gatherings where damage occurs financially accountable for repairs.

"Tomorrow, any person taking part in a violent gathering during which damage is committed may be held civilly liable for their repair," Lecornu elaborated. He clarified that the contribution could be adjusted based on an individual's financial capacity, potentially involving modest, staggered payments over time. Social benefits could also be subject to these contributions.

The Prime Minister stressed that every moment until the end of his term will be dedicated to serving the French people. "Taxpayers should not pay for those who destroy," he asserted. "This reparation also has an educational purpose: even when it involves a small sum paid each month over a long period, it concretely reminds everyone that any act of destruction incurs responsibility and must be repaired."