Paris, Wednesday. Not a good night for Macron. Not a good night for UEFA. And a very bad night for the French police. Hundreds arrested. Dozens injured. The Champions League final descended into chaos. What started as a football match ended as a street battle.
The violence was predictable. The French authorities knew the risks. Did they prepare? Quiet conversations in the Interior Ministry will be asking that question today. Le Pen will be licking her lips. The far right loves a law and order crisis.
Let's look at the numbers. 300 arrests, maybe more. 50 police officers hurt. That's a political bombshell. The prefect of police will be in the hot seat. He might not survive the week.
Here's what we know: The match was at the Stade de France, a venue with history. Hezbollah flags were reportedly seen. That will dominate the narrative. A security failure, plain and simple. The government will try to spin it as hooliganism. But the blame game has started.
Behind the scenes, the French security apparatus was overstretched. They didn't have enough stewards. They didn't coordinate properly. The English fans were blamed initially. But early briefings suggest a mix of local delinquents and organised troublemakers.
Macron is flying home from a summit. He will want a swift response. His interior minister will be summoned. A crisis meeting tonight. Expect a statement tomorrow: tough on rioters, promises of more policing. But the damage is done.
This story has legs. The police unions will demand more resources. The opposition will demand resignations. Macron's approval rating, already fragile, will take a hit. Europe is watching. The Champions League is supposed to be a showcase. Instead, it's a stain.
Final thought: The streets of Paris are calm now. But the politics will rage on. Those arrested? They'll be processed quickly. Speed trials, maybe. But the deeper rot, the failure of order, that won't be fixed overnight.
