Senate Expands 'Casseurs‑Payeurs' Bill and Approves Harsher Liability Measures

Overview

• The Senate voted to adopt a tougher version of the bill early Wednesday, passing it 229 to 105 and transmitting the amended text to the National Assembly for further debate.
• A central change creates collective financial liability for people who 'knowingly participated' in a group formed to cause damage, with state recourse capped at €10,000 per person.
• Senators broadened the list of seizable payments to include family allowances, housing aid, RSA and other benefits such as the prime d'activité and allocation de rentrée scolaire.
• Lawmakers also added security powers including administrative bans on protesting, easier use of judicial drones and algorithmic video surveillance, expulsions from social housing and an emergency 24‑hour social‑media takedown procedure.
• Opponents from the left, unions, Amnesty and the bar council say the measures risk chilling lawful protest and are likely to face legal challenges while the Interior Minister will ask the Conseil d'État to review the benefit‑seizure extensions.