The French government is on the back foot tonight. A nation in mourning has turned into a nation in fury. The murder of a 12-year-old girl in Paris has exposed a judicial system that, to British eyes, looks dangerously soft.
The suspect, a man in his 30s, had a string of prior convictions. He was out on parole. He should have been inside. Now the Elysee Palace is scrambling as calls mount for a 'British-style' crackdown on sentencing.
Inside the lobby, the whispers are loud. French justice ministers have long resisted mandatory minimum sentences. They call them 'Anglo-Saxon' and draconian. But the political calculus is shifting. Hard.
The far right is already on the march. Marine Le Pen has seized the moment. She's calling for a referendum on sentencing. The centre-right is wavering. Even Macron's own MPs are rattled.
One source in the Interior Ministry told me: "We have seen the British model. Three strikes. Longer sentences. It works. Our system is broken."
But will Macron listen? He has built his reputation on being above the fray. A technocrat. Not an populist. But this is a different beast. A child is dead. The details are harrowing. The public want blood.
And here's the rub. The suspect was on a register for sex offenders. But he wasn't monitored properly. The parole board missed warning signs. It's a systemic failure. Heads will roll.
The president is due to speak tomorrow. Word from the Elysée is that he will announce a review. But that won't be enough. Not this time. The opposition will demand action. Swift. Tough. Visible.
This feels like a turning point. French justice has always been more lenient. Rehabilitation over punishment. But that consensus is crumbling. The British experience shows that one case can shift the dial. Remember Sarah Payne? Tony Blair's response was the Sex Offences Act 2003. Fast and furious.
Now Macron faces the same pressure. Will he blink? His allies say no. They insist France is different. But the polls are brutal. Approval ratings are tanking. And the far right is circling.
One backbench MP in the National Assembly told me: "We have to act. The system is not fit for purpose. If we don't change, the people will change us."
There are already whispers of a no-confidence motion. The justice minister is under immense pressure. Her position looks precarious. If she falls, Macron's authority takes a hit.
Meanwhile, the public are taking to the streets. Candlelit vigils turning into protests. The mood is ugly. The media is full of comparisons to British sentencing. 'Why are we so soft?' is the headline.
It's a dangerous moment for Macron. He has staked his presidency on reform. But this is not the reform he wanted. He needs to act fast. Or risk losing control entirely.
We'll bring you more as it happens. But one thing is clear: the French justice system is on trial. And the verdict could be written in London.
