France revamps its security as World Cup final and Bastille Day fall in one weekend

FRANCE is to overhaul its domestic spy agency, create a national anti-terrorism prosecutor and a special unit to monitor radicalised inmates when they leave prison, the prime minister announced yesterday.

Edouard Philippe announced the plan as authorities prepared to deploy 110,000 police and security forces across the country for Bastille Day today and the World Cup final tomorrow.

The 32 measures were the latest in efforts against extremism following a string of deadly terrorist attacks over the past three years that left 246 people dead. “The threat has evolved. We need to adapt ourselves,” said Mr Philippe, speaking from the General Directorate for Internal Security headquarters in Levallois-perret, west of Paris.

“Today the terrorist is no longer remotely controlled by cells in Syria,” he said. The threat now came from “petty

‘Everything is being done so the French can live these festive moments with peace of mind, despite the threat’

criminals, psychologically weak, indoctrinated or self-radicalised people”.

With prisons seen as breeding grounds for radicalisation, Mr Philippe said tracking extremist ex-convicts was among France’s greatest challenges – 450 suspected extremists are due for release by the end of 2019. Security was especially high for Bastille Day celebrations, with 12,000 police deployed in Paris alone and another 4,000 on World Cup final duty on Sunday, where giant “fan zones” pose a security risk.

Around 90,000 people will watch the match tomorrow night under the Eiffel Tower, with 230 giant screens installed elsewhere around the country.

France is still on tenterhooks two years after 86 people were mown down by a lorry in Nice as thousands had gathered for a fireworks display.

“Everything is being done so the French can live these festive moments with peace of mind, despite the terrorist threat, which remains at a high level,” said Gerard Collomb, the French interior minister.