French president to remove emergency security rule 'this autumn'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday pledged to lift "in this autumn" the state of emergency imposed in the wake of Paris attacks on November 13, 2015.

"I will re-establish the freedoms of the French by lifting the state of emergency in this autumn, because these freedoms are the condition of the existence of a strong democracy," Xinhua quoted Macron as saying in parliament's two houses at Versailles Palace.

"The penal code as it is, the powers of magistrates as they are, can, if the system is well ordered, allow us to annihilate our enemies," he said.

Earlier this month, French head of state said he was seeking parliament for a three-month extension of the state of emergency, beyond its normal term in July 2017.

The outgoing president Francois Hollande imposed the state of emergency in November 2015 following the attacks on Paris.

Five extensions of the measure have taken place since.

Shortly after he occupied the Elysee Palace, Macron decided on a new body, including all the country's intelligences services to better coordinate response to eventual terror risk amid persistent terror risks.

--IANS

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