French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised foreign leaders for exploiting last weekend’s unrest in France for their own political purposes, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking in Doha on Wednesday, Macron said some leaders were campaigning “at France’s expense” and spreading “unacceptable and even stupid comments” about the riots.edition, according to Euro News.
Macron said there was no visible evidence that foreign actors had instigated the protests, but argued that foreign manipulation of information had distorted the public understanding of events. He criticised the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated videos and false claims that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists,” calling such narratives completely untrue.edition.
Although many people joined peaceful demonstrations organised by trade unions, the Yellow Vest movement and students, the protests were overshadowed by looting and clashes with police. Trump has used the violence to argue that France is being destroyed by migrants, jihadists and communists, framing the unrest as a warning for American voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Macron said France already faced serious domestic problems and did not need its difficulties inflamed from abroad. “In these moments, we see who loves France and who doesn’t,” he told reporters.
The president also announced that he would hold an emergency meeting with ministers and intelligence officials on Thursday to receive a detailed account of the violence on 17 October. The French government has acknowledged that it lost control of parts of the situation that day.
A roadmap announced on Monday includes curfews and restrictions on large gatherings, which will remain in force ahead of fresh protests planned for 24 October. Macron warned that anyone seeking to spread disorder in city centres on Saturday would be stopped.
He also called for dialogue with unions and political groups, insisting that responsibility must be shared. “There is no such thing as legitimate violence,” Macron said, adding that in a democracy nothing can justify violence.
Macron’s visit to Qatar forms part of a three-day Gulf tour aimed at securing France’s energy supplies amid a cost-of-living crisis that has helped drive the unrest. On Tuesday, he announced that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had pledged to supply France with an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month.
