French ministers -novel idea to combat the drug crime

When France fights against the scourge of drug crime in the streets, a top minister pulled up the eyebrows by holding the use of cash exclusively for removal of narcotics.

“How do we prevent drugs from spreading in our neighborhoods?” Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, a former interior minister and one of the most famous cabinet members, asked on Thursday in a hearing with the Senate of the Oberhaus.

“There is a fairly simple measure – the end of Liquid Cash would prevent the creation of points for drug trafficking,” he added.

In contrast to some other European countries, especially in Nordic nations, cash remains a relatively essential part of everyday life in France, whereby bakeries and cafés often determine minimum payment before a card can be used.

In an interview with RTL on Friday, Darmanin, who expressed interest in presidential elections in 2027, presented to clarify his comments while they no longer deny.

He said that “between four and six billion euros” in France, of which only “a few million euros” are confiscated by the authorities.

Cash, he added, “is what enables a large part of working for organized crimes, prostitution and human trafficking.”

But he was “realistic” Darmaninin and added that stopping cash “was one of the answers, but not the only one” to fight drug crime, which has become an increasingly important political issue in France.

“It is a public debate that should undoubtedly be led in a presidential campaign in a presidential campaign,” he said.

Sophie Primas, spokeswoman for the government, said, while the problem “was brought to the agenda by the Minister of Justice”, if “not on the agenda of the government”.

According to a study published by the European Central Bank (ECB) in December 2024, Cash still accounted for 43 percent of the transactions in France.

Liquid Money is also important in everyday life, and there are also concerns about what would happen in a bar -free country if the payment systems suddenly decrease.

BP-SJW/YAD