After Champions League victory celebrations turn violent, French PM Lecornu proposes a law to make rioters foot the bill

The trigger: celebrations and violence

Paris Saint-Germain's victory in the Champions League final was followed by public disorder, leaving property damaged and local authorities counting the cost. Several days later, the prime minister took to X to lay out a legislative response.

Lecornu's proposal

Sébastien Lecornu announced on 14 June that a bill will go before the Council of Ministers in July. The text aims to make individuals who take part in violent assemblies where damage occurs directly liable for the repair expenses. The prime minister stressed that public finances are already stretched and that the taxpayer should not foot the bill for destruction caused by a few.

In a context where our public finances are heavily degraded and every euro of public money must be used responsibly, it is no longer acceptable for the community to bear the cost of destruction committed by a small number.

The government says the contribution could be scaled to each person's financial means, including modest payments stretched over time. In some cases, social welfare benefits could be tapped within the limits set by law, without cutting into a person's basic living allowance.

Tomorrow anyone taking part in a violent gathering during which damage is committed may be required to contribute civilly to the repair. A simple principle: when you take part in collective violence, you must individually bear the consequences.

The political reaction

Presidential candidate and former prime minister Gabriel Attal welcomed the initiative on 15 June, telling BFMTV-RMC that his parliamentary group would back the bill in the National Assembly. He linked it to his own earlier push, as premier, for reparative activities for under-16s, encapsulated in the mantra "you break, you fix".

With my parliamentary group, we will support it in the Assembly... It is a measure that gives concrete form to what I had called for.

What comes next

The draft law is expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers in July 2026. If adopted, it would open a new front in France's long-running debate over public order and the balance between collective responsibility and individual accountability.