French President Jacques Chirac on Sunday said restoring order was the top priority after 10 nights of rolling riots that have shaken the country. "The absolute priority is to re-establish security and public order," Chirac told reporters in his first public comments carried by Reuters on the rioting. "The law must have the last word. The Republic is quite determined, by definition, to be stronger than those who want to sow violence or fear," he added. Chirac spoke after meeting top ministers on domestic security in response to 10 successive nights of unrest that began in poor Paris suburbs but which have spread to the capital proper and a host of major French towns. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told journalists that the government would step up security around the country wherever it was needed: "We cannot accept any 'no-go' areas." Villepin said he would announce his plans for the country's underprivileged suburbs on national television on Monday. --SP 2312 Local Time 2012 GMT
