At least nine pigs’ heads were found outside mosques in the Paris region on Tuesday. Some of the severed heads had the name of French President Emmanuel Macron written on them.Paris police chief Laurent Nunez confirmed the incidents and said that pigs’ heads were placed outside four mosques in the capital and five in nearby suburbs. “Pigs’ heads have been left in front of certain mosques… Four in Paris and five in the inner suburbs,” Macron was quoted as saying to news agency AFP in a press conference.Macron added that officers were not “ruling out the possibility of finding more”.The Paris prosecutor’s office said several of the heads had Macron’s surname written on them in blue ink. Police have opened a probe into incitement to hatred aggravated by racial or religious discrimination.Pork is not consumed in Islam, where it is considered impure, making the act especially sensitive for Muslims. France has the European Union’s largest Muslim community, as well as its largest Jewish population.The incidents come at a time of heightened religious tensions across Europe. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has reported a surge in both anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. In France, official data shows anti-Muslim incidents rose by 75 per cent between January and May 2025 compared with the previous year, with attacks on individuals tripling.Political and community leaders condemned the Paris incidents. Macron met Muslim representatives to express his “support”. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo announced the city had taken legal action, denouncing the “racist acts”. Interior minister Bruno Retailleau called them “outrageous” and “absolutely unacceptable”. He added, “I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practise their faith in peace.”Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, described the incident as an “Islamophobic act” and “a new and sad stage in the rise of anti-Muslim hatred”.French officials have previously linked other shocking acts to Russia, including coffins draped in the French flag left at the Eiffel Tower inscribed with “French soldiers of Ukraine” and vandalism at a Holocaust memorial painted with blood-red handprints. In June, three Serbs were charged over Jewish site desecrations suspected to be Russia-backed.
Macron loyalist Lecornu becomes new PM
Macron appointed loyalist Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister on Tuesday, making him the fifth to hold the role in less than two years. Lecornu is a former conservative who backed Macron’s 2017 campaign, most recently served as defence minister and is known for his pro-business stance.Lecornu succeeds François Bayrou, who was ousted by parliament over debt reduction plans and now faces the challenge of building consensus on the 2026 budget. Macron asked him to seek compromise across parties, but leftist groups dismissed his appointment, while the far-right National Rally expressed conditional support. Critics say Macron’s choice risks fuelling discontent as France grapples with deep political divisions and mounting economic pressures.
