France intensifies its fight against radical Islamism: the Minister of the Interior demands greater efforts from the prefectures

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has reinforced his commitment to the fight against radical Islamism, urging prefectures to implement existing measures more rigorously.

During a visit to the prefecture of Hauts-de-Seine in Nanterre, Retailleau stressed the need to make the State more effective in this area, advocating the use of the Cells for the Fight against Radical Islamism (CLIR), created in 2019.

These cells, made up of representatives of state services, aim to diagnose, centralize information and track Islamism-related offenses at the territorial level, according to the Interministerial Committee on Crime and Radicalization.

Following the presentation of a report on the Muslim Brothers last week, President Emmanuel Macron expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposals presented at the Defense Council and has asked the government, led by the prime minister, François Bayrou, in Matignon, to develop new measures to deal with what he sees as a long-term threat to the Republic.

Retailleau, in response, announced a reorganization of the state to combat "Islamist integrationism," highlighting the mobilization of two new services: the National Directorate of Territorial Intelligence (DNRT) and the Directorate of Public Freedoms, which will act as a sort of administrative prosecutor's office.

The minister noted that the focus will be on tightening controls on cultural associations and sports clubs, previously identified as possible avenues for radical Islamist infiltration.

This message aligns with Retailleau's warnings about a "low-level Islamism" that seeks to impose norms, such as those derived from the sharia, gradually on French society.

In that regard, the minister noted on his X account that, "No one can use his religion, his beliefs or his origins to escape the common rule. This is the sentence we should include in the Constitution."

The report also highlighted the existence of Islamist ecosystems in some 20 departments, which has raised concerns about their impact on national cohesion.