Curfew for minors: “favorable” to this measure, Darmanin provides “support” to mayors who introduce it

He supports them loud and clear. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told France 3 television on Thursday that he was “in favor of a curfew that affects minors.”

His position on this issue was not particularly in doubt, since it was he who outlined it last week in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe). “The mayors who have the power to issue decrees (…), I support them, and the prefects of the republic will support them,” insisted the tenant of the Place Beauvo.

“Minors should be at home with their parents. (…) They need to sleep, they need to go to school the next day,” said Gérald Darmanin, justifying his position on extending the curfew “in other parts of the national territory.”

“I support these initiatives”

“Obviously, it is necessary that the administrative court, if it is captured, sees that there is no abuse of power,” he nevertheless reminded. But to him, the elected officials who made these decisions – in Beziers, Nice, Penn Mirabeau … – are “perfectly reasonable people.”

“I support these initiatives, even if it is obvious that the state cannot replace all territories and all municipalities,” he again insisted in an interview with France 3.

In the past, other cities have resorted to curfew measures for minors for a limited period of time. But the topic of youth violence has recently appeared in public debate in France, in several news reports, and the government is increasing the number of statements on the topic in the weeks before the European elections.