PoliticsAndrew Smith warns policing and political blame cannot replace social reform and public trust

Andrew Smith, a historian of modern France at Queen Mary University of London, says policing alone cannot create social cohesion or shape a political future. He describes a French state able to impose public order but potentially unable to address the grievances behind mass mobilisation, and examines tensions involving protest, presidential authority and democratic legitimacy.

Francesocial protestpublic trust

FFrance 24★★★☆☆2026-10-24 13:09Original