Question 17179 — font

Summary

Ms. Anna Pic questions the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Interior on the national plan for maintaining order (SNMO). The French doctrine of maintaining order, the latest version of which dates from 2021, is based on the principles of necessity, proportionality, gradation and reversibility of the use of force. The desire for permanent dialogue with demonstrators is a key element of the SNMO. However, as evidenced by the report of the Court of Auditors of April 3, 2024, the forms of protest and the methods of intervention of the police have evolved profoundly in recent years. This situation complicates the dialogue between the authorities and the demonstrators and favors, in increasingly recurring situations, the escalation of tensions. The clashes that occurred in Sainte-Soline in March 2023 constitute a symptomatic example of difficulties facing the current doctrine of maintaining order. These events led the Defender of Rights, in a decision made public on July 8, 2026, to identify several shortcomings in the conduct of law enforcement operations. If it recognizes that the use of force responded to an operational necessity, it underlines in particular the disproportionate nature of certain uses of the launcher Cougar as well as inadequacies in the dialogue between the authorities and the demonstrators. Beyond this event, several independent authorities and international organizations have called on France to reflect on the methods of maintaining order. Indeed, the United Nations Human Rights Council had already called, in 2024, to ensure that the use of force fully complies with international commitments of France. In addition, several European states have evolved their doctrine by placing greater emphasis on de-escalation strategies, anticipation of risks and dialogue with the organizers of demonstrations. “Dialogue officer” systems, notably developed in Sweden, or the specialized mediation units set up in the Netherlands, aim to prevent tensions upstream and limit the use of force. Other countries, such as Germany, favor a doctrine more based on prevention and the early separation of violent groups. Furthermore, while French doctrine provides for the use of certain weapons of intermediate force, several European countries favor devices more oriented towards keeping crowds at a distance and de-escalation strategies, without this appearing to compromise the effectiveness of the maintaining order. Thus, French techniques of maintaining order are regularly denounced even though the Ministry of the Interior displays a desire to be “protective for the demonstrators and firm with the perpetrators of violence” according to the SNMO. According to this design, the maintenance of order must pursue complementary objectives: guarantee respect for fundamental freedoms, ensure the protection of demonstrators like that of law enforcement, reduce the use of force when possible and strengthen trust between citizens and the institutions of the Republic. In this context, almost 5 years after the updating of the SNMO, she asks him if the Government intends to initiate an evaluation of the system and if this is likely to lead to a revision of the French doctrine of maintaining order.

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