Visiting Marseille, Emmanuel Macron assured Wednesday, September 1 that he had not come to "make false promises" on the eve of presenting an ambitious plan intended to respond to the social, educational, economic and security "emergencies" of the second city of France.

After spending the whole afternoon in the northern districts of the city, plagued by violence linked to drug trafficking, Emmanuel Macron will continue his visit on Thursday by starting school in a school, also in the northern districts.

Accompanied by seven ministers, eight months before the presidential election, the head of state was first greeted by the socialist mayor Benoît Payan.

"The expectations are colossal and legitimate", insisted the city councilor while resounding in front of the town hall of Marseilles of the slogans of demonstrators calling for the resignation of Emmanuel Macron.

"Housing, consideration (...) of jobs"

The welcome was much warmer later in the afternoon, in the city of Bassens, where the president dared a long walkabout, to meet the inhabitants.

"Marseille needs you!", Bilal, a 32-year-old garbage collector told him.

"As long as we do not fight this misery, we will not eradicate this drug trafficking", insisted Amine, 17, brother of Brahim, who died at the end of December in a settling of scores, in reference to the many plagues in these neighborhoods. poor, between dilapidated schools, unsanitary housing and lack of jobs.

"It is housing, consideration, and it is jobs" that it will take to help these neighborhoods to straighten their heads, replied the President of the Republic, during a short improvised press briefing in the middle of the crowd: "But I do not want to make false promises here", he insisted, explaining on France 3 Provence that he was "first there to listen".

Emmanuel Macron, who continues his visit until Friday, should announce investments for schools, transport and housing on Thursday.

A reinforcement of 300 police officers in 2022 and 500 surveillance cameras

He has already tackled the issue of security. "The answer is also safe" and it is necessary to "dismantle the networks", insisted the head of state to the inhabitants. About two hours after his arrival in Bassens, Emmanuel Macron left for the police station of the northern division of the city, in the same arrondissement (15th), to discuss the difficulties of the fight against violence linked to drug trafficking, after a been marked by a dozen bloody settling of scores in the Bouches-du-Rhône.

"We will not let go" in the fight against drug trafficking, promised Emmanuel Macron in front of the police.

"We must treat the symptoms (...) because the inhabitants of the neighborhoods demand the right to live in peace and in safety. They will not listen to us on everything else if we do not succeed in safety," he said. -he rocks.

He announced an acceleration of the arrival in Marseille of the 300 more police officers promised by the Ministry of the Interior, who will all be there in 2022 and no longer 2023. "You have to go well beyond 300 additional police officers to have a efficient police force, "said Yannick Ohanessian, deputy mayor for security, present at the police station.

The president also pledged funding for 500 video cameras - a tool that is the subject of debate in the city.

As for the courts, "we will respond in due proportion to the needs mentioned", insisted Emmanuel Macron, stressing that after the reinforcement of the means of the police, it was not necessary to create "a thrombosis effect" at the level of the courts.

In March, the president of the Marseille court, Olivier Leurent denounced the lack of courtrooms - 10 are missing - and estimated that it would take 125 to 130 judges (against 114 in the workforce at present) for " turn satisfactorily "and avoid a denial of justice.

With AFP

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