Reader Q&A: What’s next for France after a weekend of riots? 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Ask our Europe columnists       At 3pm BST / 4pm CEST Friday 23 Oct, Guardian Europe columnists Rokhaya Diallo and Alexander Hurst will be live taking questions from our readers about the riots and protests in France. Send your questions by email now to (mailto:conversations@theguardian.com) conversations@theguardian.com  , or join the discussion on Friday      LIVE Updated 8h ago            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rokhaya-diallo) Rokhaya Diallo ,  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alexander-hurst) Alexander Hurst , Michael Hubbard and Guardian moderators   Thu 22 Oct 2026 12.54 EDT  First published on Wed 21 Oct 2026 06.32 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Reader Q&A: What’s next for France after a weekend of riots? Ask our Europe columnists&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?CMP=share_btn_url) Share                   Key events  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?page=with%3Ablock-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5#block-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5) (Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 06:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago  Welcome to the Conversation                          (Alexander Hurst and Rokhaya Diallo)          Alexander Hurst and Rokhaya Diallo. Composite: Guardian Design     (france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       Alexander Hurst and Rokhaya Diallo. Composite: Guardian Design             (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rokhaya-diallo) Rokhaya Diallo ,  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alexander-hurst) Alexander Hurst , Michael Hubbard and Guardian moderators   Thu 22 Oct 2026 12.54 EDT  First published on Wed 21 Oct 2026 06.32 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Reader Q&A: What’s next for France after a weekend of riots? Ask our Europe columnists&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?CMP=share_btn_url) Share                  Key events  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?page=with%3Ablock-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5#block-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5) (Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 06:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago  Welcome to the Conversation         (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?page=with%3Ablock-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5#block-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5) (Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 06:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago   06.32 EDT   Welcome to the Conversation      (The Hôtel de Ville in Limoges, central France, on fire during a weekend of unrest)   (france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       The Hôtel de Ville in Limoges, central France, on fire during a weekend of unrest. Photograph: Pascal Lachenaud/AFP/Getty Images  After weeks of protests and a weekend of riots in which a town hall was set ablaze, 2,000-plus shops were looted, 2,300 people were arrested and 1,000 police injured, the repercussions for France – for its society and its economy – continue. Allegations of police brutality surfaced, and the violent protests unnerved investors, (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/19/france-hit-by-debt-sell-off-as-protests-unnerve-investors) resulting in a debt sell-off , with borrowing costs rising higher than for Greece. All of this ahead of a hotly contested presidential election that’s now just six months away. The French government’s escalating financial problems were covered by the Guardian’s Europe correspondent Jon Henley who wrote: “France’s national debt, at 119% of GDP, is at its (https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2026/09/29/french-public-debt-soars-to-119-of-gdp-highest-level-since-1946_6758066_5.html) highest level since 1946 . Its budget deficit, at 5.1%, is also among the highest in the EU. There is just no money in the bank to ease the cost of living squeeze that brought 550,000 people on to the streets on Saturday.” Columnist Paul Taylor commented that “Last weekend’s violence has increased the likelihood of a law-and-order backlash among voters that could propel (Marine) Le Pen into the Élysée Palace. But if the financial situation worsens and the campaign turns on who can save the economy, she may yet lose out to a candidate who is firm on security and more orthodox on fiscal policy.” And the (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/19/the-guardian-view-on-frances-protests-a-polarised-country-is-in-a-perilous-political-moment) Guardian’s editorial noted that “In an increasingly febrile atmosphere, France is heading towards a seismic reckoning in May. Alarmingly, the civil strife witnessed at the weekend may only be a foretaste of what is to come.” What are your views on the riots, their causes and their aftermath? Are they paving a path to the presidency for Le Pen? In his final months in charge, can embattled incumbent Emmanuel Macron meaningfully address the situation in which (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) France finds herself? France-based (https://www.theguardian.com/europe) Guardian Europe columnists Rokhaya Diallo and Alexander Hurst will be live here at 1500BST on Friday 23 October to answer your questions on what happened, why, and where France goes from here. Comments will open at 0900BST on Friday, but you can send your questions by email now to conversations@theguardian.com  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/19/emmanuel-macron-criticism-isolation-france)  Ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron’s isolation     Read more        (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/22/macron-ban-illegitimate-demonstrations-france-unrest)  Macron bans ‘illegitimate‘ protests in France as he tries to get a grip on unrest     Read more        (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/20/france-riots-aftermath-one-beneficiary-marine-le-pen)  After the violence and chaos in France, there’s only one beneficiary: Marine Le Pen | Paul Taylor     Read more        (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/21/france-uk-rightwing-populists-marine-le-pen-donald-trump)  From strife-torn France to the UK, rightwing populists win when they stir chaos while promising order  | Rafael Behr     Read more        (mailto:?subject=Reader Q&A: What’s next for France after a weekend of riots? Ask our Europe columnists&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/21/france-riots-protests-reader-questions-rokhaya-dallio-alexander-hurst?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5#block-6ad7541e8f08ed94496495a5) Share     Updated at (Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 12:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 12.54 EDT          Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) France  (https://www.theguardian.com/community/series/conversations) Conversations  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/protest) Protest    (mailto:?subject=Reader Q&A: What’s next for France after a weekend of riots? 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