France raises security risk to highest level months before Olympics

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Sunday evening increased the country’s official security threat designation to its highest level of “emergency attack.”

The heightened security risk assessment came after President Emmanuel Macron convened a National Defense and Security Council meeting Sunday to discuss the Friday attack on a Moscow concert hall. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, and U.S. officials have drawn the same conclusion.

“Following the attack in Moscow, a Defense and National Security Council was convened this evening at the Elysée by the President of the Republic,” Attal wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Given the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: attack emergency,” Attal continued, according to a translation provided by Google.

There are three possible threat levels specified by the Vigipirate plan, which aims to provide a centralized tool for France to counter terrorism.

The security posture is put in place only for a limited time, according to France’s government website.

The security level threat in France was downgraded on Jan. 15, 2024 from the highest level to the middle of three levels, which calls for “reinforced security” because of “risk of attack.”

The heightened security assessment comes several months before the Olympic games are slated to take place this July and August in Paris. It remains unclear to what extent the heightened security protocol will affect the events this summer.