1 November 2017

Politico: New French anti-terror law to replace 2-year state of emergency

The exceptional legal regimen, which had been renewed a total of six times by two presidents, will be replaced Wednesday by a tough new anti-terrorism law that grants police and investigators extensive powers to raid, detain and question terrorism suspects — making many special provisions permanent.

During a formal signing ceremony Monday at his office, French President Emmanuel Macron said the new law would allow France to “exit the state of emergency from November 1 while ensuring the security of our citizens.” Following heavy criticism of the bill, which rights groups said would encourage discrimination against France’s Muslim minority, Macron added that the new law would undergo an evaluation within “two years” after going into effect Tuesday.  [...]

Macron’s controversial law further bulks up a vast security arsenal that includes daytime military patrols in major cities, a major investment ramp-up into domestic intelligence collection and the creation of a new anti-terrorism task force directly under Macron’s authority, in the Elysée presidential palace. [...]

In comments to POLITICO earlier this month, Heisbourg said that Macron’s new anti-terrorism law responded to the need to lift the state of emergency, lest a new attack demonstrate its toothlessness and leave authorities cornered, with few other options than to impose martial law.

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