France’s parliament has become embroiled in a fresh row over who should pay for the damage caused by riots, after the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National (RN) succeeded in blocking a proposed insurance surcharge.
The amendment, adopted by the National Assembly’s finance committee, removes a planned “riots surcharge” on home insurance policies that was intended to help fund repairs after large-scale unrest.
RN MP Matthias Renault hailed the move on social media, branding the levy the “Nahel tax” and arguing that those responsible for the damage should pay for repairs, rather than the taxpayers.
The surcharge had been approved by the Senate in mid-December as part of the 2026 budget.
Modelled on France’s natural disaster insurance scheme, it would have created a national compensation fund financed through compulsory contributions on household and business insurance policies.
For households, the extra charge was estimated at around 2–2.5% of premiums.
The proposal followed a series of costly riots involving migrants, including the nationwide riots triggered in 2023 by the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel near Paris. Damage from this unrest was estimated at €793 million, four times higher than during the 2005 riots. Further destruction in New Caledonia in 2024 reached more than €900 million.
However, RN has warned that the government could still force the measure through parliament using emergency constitutional powers, keeping the politically sensitive debate alive.
