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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Wednesday that the government could not remain "indifferent" to the grievances driving weeks of protests by high school students that have roiled the country, acknowledging in a televised address that the demonstrators' frustration was rooted in legitimate concerns.
Speaking to the nation, Lecornu said the "anger of young people does not come from nowhere," signaling that the government views the unrest as a response to underlying issues rather than mere disorder.
He said his administration would unveil its first concrete decisions aimed at addressing the crisis "at the end of October," though he did not detail what those measures might include.
The address came after scenes of violent confrontations between protesters and police were reported across the country.
Lecornu directly addressed the unrest, denying that security forces had been instructed to confront the young demonstrators.
He said law enforcement did not have "orders to confront" the students, pushing back on suggestions that the government had authorized a heavy-handed response to the protests.
The prime minister's remarks reflect mounting pressure on the French government to respond to a protest movement that has drawn high school students into the streets and, by his own account, shaken the country.
By committing to a timeline, Lecornu appeared to be seeking to reassure both protesters and the public that concrete action was forthcoming, even as he defended the conduct of security forces during the unrest.
No further details on the scope of the protests, the specific demands of the students, or the nature of the planned government measures were disclosed in the address.
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