France's Version of "Calm"

My head spun around a few times when I read this. Note the contrast between these two successive sentences:

1. Four police officials were slightly injured, according to the interior ministry, which said its security forces "were of the unanimous view" that New Year's Eve was "rather calm and without major incident."
   
   
2. The interior ministry had earlier said 445 vehicles were set on fire overnight, but later revised that figure to 1,147.

The emphasis is mine. Keep in mind that this is coming from the same country whose "intellectuals" continuously condemn us in North America as provincial neanderthals without any culture! I can just see the 2009 France tourism ads:

Come Visit France, the Land of Great Culture: Wine, Cheese, and Spontaneous Renault Fires!

Further reactions here.