It’s time to take stock. While a lull is emerging after seven nights of riots, Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday July 4 a draft “emergency law” to speed up the reconstruction of buildings destroyed since the death of Nahel, killed at the age of 17 years old by a policeman during a road check in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine). He also promised financial aid to cities for repairs containing “roads, municipal establishments, schools”.
For their part, the authorities are trying to assess the damage. And the numbers speak for themselves. The damage is estimated at more than one billion euros for companies throughout the territory, noted the boss of Medef Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux in an interview on Tuesday at Parisian. “It is too early to give a precise figure, but we are at more than a billion euros, not counting the damage to tourism,” he said. “The videos of the riots, which circulated around the world, degrade the image of France.”
Insurers’ estimates are no more optimistic. For the moment, 5,800 claims have been declared over four days, Florence Lustman, president of the France Assureurs federation, said on Tuesday on franceinfo. “Our assessment of these claims alone is that they should already cost at least 280 million euros, over four days of urban violence, compared to 205 million in 2005, but over four weeks,” he said. she indicated. The 2005 riots were sparked by the accidental deaths of two teenagers while being chased by police. They were spread over 21 consecutive days.
More than 1,000 businesses affected
In detail, “more than 1,000 businesses were either vandalized, attacked or burned down”, confirmed the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire on July 4, during a trip to Arpajon (Essonne). The Medef meanwhile reports more than 200 businesses looted, 300 bank branches destroyed, and 250 tobacco shops affected.
The results of the riots caused by the death of Nahel, killed by a policeman at the age of 17.
© / The Express
Transport has not been spared from urban violence either. In the Paris region, Ile-de-France Mobilités noted “at least 20 million euros in damage”, while specifying that this is only a first estimate. 39 burnt buses, a burnt tram, two damaged trams and broken street furniture were included in the amount.
Exceptional measures by insurers
To deal with these difficulties, insurers took exceptional measures on July 4. The claim reporting period has been reduced from 5 to 30 days. France Assureurs has also promised to speed up the compensation process and reduce deductibles for “the hardest hit small independent traders”.
For its part, the State has opened the door to cancellations of social or tax contributions for companies affected by the riots. “When your business has been completely burnt down, it’s the work of a lifetime that is reduced to ashes, the State must be at your side and there can be cancellations of social or tax charges at the case by case,” said Bruno Le Maire.
If the urban violence seems to be losing intensity, Emmanuel Macron still said he was “very cautious” about a return to calm, in the face of some 250 mayors of cities affected by the riots received at the Elysée. “But the peak that we experienced in the first evenings has passed,” nuanced the head of state.