French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin made an unexpected visit yesterday to a Paris suburb that has been hit by riots as parliament approved a bill to extend the state of emergency for three months, with 346 votes in favor and 148 against.

Villepin travelled to Aulnay-sous-Bois northeast of Paris a day after President Jacques Chirac said in a national address that the worst civil unrest in almost 40 years pointed to a deep national malaise and identity crisis.

The prime minister met local residents, teachers and business leaders during the previously unannounced visit, his first to an area that has been hit by rioting by youths who feel excluded from mainstream society.

"During our meeting this morning I heard a lot of people who really want to make progress, to get ahead, realize their projects, find a job. They should be helped," Villepin said afterwards.

"Of course we must be mobilized against the feeling of injustice and against discrimination. It's an every day struggle which should mobilize us all, every French man and woman," said Villepin, who also vowed to be firm with lawbreakers.

The unrest began on October 27 with the accidental deaths of two youths apparently fleeing police but quickly engulfed tough suburbs in towns around France. Police say violence has now "returned to almost normal" levels with 215 vehicles destroyed overnight.

National Police service chief Michel Gaudin told Le Monde newspaper that 80 percent of those arrested for rioting were already known to police. In future, more officers would have to work at night when troublemakers were most active, he said.

Violence reduced gradually last week. Overnight Tuesday, the number of cars burned across the country diminished to 162 from Sunday night's 271, compared with more than 1,300 at the peak of the riots, according to French national police.

In Monday's televized address, Chirac said his government wanted to extend emergency measures such as curfews to help stamp out violent protests against racism and unemployment by youths of African and Arab origin as well as white youngsters.

Center-right politicians said Chirac had shown firmness and determination, but the opposition Socialists, who are expected to oppose the extension of emergency powers during the National Assembly debate, said the president had proposed nothing new.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2005)