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

https://mins.news/en/item/113981

- France 24, 2026-10-24 13:09 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.france24.com/en/andrew-smith-warns-that-policing-political-blame-are-no-substitute-for-social-reform-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.

## Related coverage

- [Andrew Smith warns policing and political blame cannot replace social reform and public trust](https://mins.news/en/video/113997) — France 24 English, 2026-10-24