DOMINANT ANGLE
Vilnius is tallying the damage and arrests first and foremost: the Lithuanian press is focusing on public order and the economic cost of the French riots, and is reporting Macron's speech without commenting on it.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to the Interior Ministry cited by 15min, 2,397 people were arrested on Saturday and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
- 02
Verslo žinios: around 1,500 stores and businesses were affected, with losses of "several hundred million euros" according to the commerce federation.
- 03
Emmanuel Macron: "We are all feeling anger and shame tonight"; Sébastien Lecornu will chair a crisis meeting on Monday, October 19.
ANALYSIS
Vilnius, October 18, 2026. The Lithuanian press is covering the French crisis from the angle of material damage and public order, before that of the claims. Verslo žinios headlines "1,500 damaged stores" and 1,800 people arrested, a number that the police describe as a record for a day of demonstrations. The economic daily relays the vice-mayor of Paris, Lamia El Aaraje, who says that the capital has faced "a level of violence that we had, I believe, never seen".
The newspaper details the looting: masked youths have ransacked dozens of stores in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Strasbourg. In Limoges, the 19th-century town hall burned down; Prefect Maurice Barate speaks of an arson attack committed by a "savage horde". The president of the trade federation, Alexandre Bompard, estimates the losses at "several hundred million euros", without a precise amount at this stage.
15min follows Emmanuel Macron's speech on Sunday evening. The head of state mentions "violence of incredible scope" in the cities and asserts that "nothing can justify" the riots: "We all feel anger and shame tonight." He also asks: "How can the French treat France like this?" The Lithuanian media reports that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will chair a crisis meeting on Monday, October 19, to "gather support" for those going through difficult times, and that the perpetrators of the violence "will be held accountable".
The figures differ depending on the source: 15min reports, according to the Ministry of the Interior, 2,397 people arrested on Saturday and 997 police officers and gendarmes injured, including seven seriously. The media specifies that these troubles increase the pressure on a president whose term is coming to an end, six months before the elections.
Verslo žinios recalls the origin of the movement: high school protests in September over dilapidated schools, overcrowded classes, and a lack of teachers, later expanded to include inflation and the cost of living. The newspaper adds an update on Donald Trump's statement. Both media outlets stick to the account of events and official statements, without editorial commentary on French politics.
