French parliament approves three-month extension of the state of emergency imposed by Hollande after Paris attacks
The prime ministers of France and Belgium sought additional authority on Thursday to respond to the deadly attacks in Paris last week, with Manuel Valls saying the French people want “strong, quick and effective reactions,” and Charles Michel of Belgium asking Parliament to approve a variety of tough new security measures.
Valls, in a speech at the National Assembly, where lawmakers were debating a three-month extension of a state of emergency, warned that France “must not rule anything out” when considering the possibility that terrorists might use chemical weapons, though he did not provide any indication that investigators suspected an imminent attack.
Valls also called for reinforced tracking of the movements of people within the European Union and urged European countries to improve the sharing of airline passenger information.
“France has been attacked,” Valls said in justifying the need to extend the state of emergency. “French people are under shock. They are expecting from all of us some strong, quick and effective reactions.”
Among some long-term measures, Mr. Valls announced the creation of a “structure for radicalized youths” that would accommodate those who say they are willing to abandon extremist views. Admission to the program would be contingent on a judicial review, Mr. Valls said, and jihadists returning from Iraq or Syria would not be allowed to participate.
“Their place is in prison,” he said.
The National Assembly, France’s lower house of Parliament, later approved by an overwhelming margin a three-month extension of the state of emergency that Mr. Hollande declared after the attacks.
Five hundred and fifty-one representatives voted in favor of extending the state of emergency, with six opposing the move and one abstaining. The three-month period would begin on Nov. 26; France’s upper house of Parliament, the Senate, will consider the extension and vote on Friday, and similar support is expected there.
NEW SECURITY MEASURES IN BELGIUM:
In Belgium, Michel announced new security measures intended to step up the fight against terrorism, and he called for closer international cooperation to combat extremist groups, including the Islamic State, by strengthening Europe’s external borders and by working together at the United Nations.
He asked Parliament to double the budget for state security in fighting terrorism, adding 400 million euros, or about $427 million, and to extend the maximum detention time without charges in suspected terrorism cases to 72 hours from 24 hours. He also called on lawmakers to give the government the authority to shut down mosques where hate speech is preached.
The government also said it would increase recruitment for security forces and would invest in new technology and improved communication systems. It will also extend the use of investigative methods for terrorism cases, like wiretapping and raids on private homes, to other crimes, in particular arms trafficking, a new priority.
If Parliament passes the measures, Belgians who travel abroad to fight with the Islamic State would be imprisoned upon their return, and people believed to be at risk of going overseas to wage jihad would be given an electronic bracelet and could be stripped of their Belgian citizenship, a measure that France is also considering.
Other Belgian proposals would shut down websites that propagate hate speech and would introduce routine identity controls for passengers boarding planes and high-speed trains. Also, for the first time, the authorities would be allowed to conduct raids at night in terrorism cases; currently, raids are not allowed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
