Macron Trump 'stupid comments': France unrest draws foreign leaders' jabs
Emmanuel Macron accused Donald Trump and other foreign leaders of making 'stupid comments' about France's street unrest for political gain, speaking during a visit to Qatar as the country braced for more protests this weekend.
Macron Trump 'stupid comments': France unrest draws foreign leaders' jabs
Emmanuel Macron accused Donald Trump and other foreign leaders of making "stupid comments" about France's street unrest for political gain, speaking during a visit to Qatar as the country braced for more protests this weekend.
Macron: manipulated information and 'stupid comments'
Macron, speaking in Doha, did not name names but said the manipulation of information after Saturday's riots had produced comments that were as unacceptable as they were stupid, from many people including foreign leaders. Asked if he was referring to Trump, he replied: "Among others."
He said some leaders in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic, were naively spreading promoted narratives. Those leaders, he said, were using France for their own political campaigns, "And we don't need that."
The president also said AI-generated images were circulating depicting scenes that never actually happened in France, including false claims that the country had been invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists. Macron was in the Gulf seeking energy deals to help offset rising fuel costs.
Trump and Netanyahu comments
The remarks responded to statements by two leaders campaigning ahead of elections.
- Trump blamed France's violence on "migrants, jihadists and communists" while campaigning for his Republican party before midterm elections.
- Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections next weekend, said France had been hit by an "invasion of extremist Islam".
- Analysts have dismissed claims that migrants were the main factor in France's protests.
A government bracing for Saturday
The crisis erupted six months before presidential elections to choose Macron's successor, and the government admitted it had "lost control" over Saturday's widespread rioting. Largely peaceful cost-of-living demonstrations descended into violence and looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Limoges, where the town hall was set on fire and partly destroyed.
- The gilets jaunes movement has formally filed plans for a march through the centre of Paris on Saturday, seen as the government's next big test.
- The movement aims to revive its nationwide 2018 campaign against rising living costs and declining public services.
- Student groups have called for protests the same day, demanding greater investment in education.
Macron pledged that those wanting to cause disorder next Saturday would be prevented, saying "There must be no wavering at the top of the state."
Economic and political fallout
The unrest prompted several countries to issue travel warnings for France and rattled financial markets. The yield on the benchmark french 10-year bond passed 5% on Wednesday, its highest since 2002.
Ministers promised a "massive" and vastly reinforced security operation, with some troops expected to deploy alongside police reinforcements, after acknowledging shortcomings in the initial response. Partial night-time curfews imposed on Monday and Tuesday in cities including Paris, Marseille and Lille helped ensure relative calm and were expected to be renewed on Wednesday. Macron insisted France does not need a state of emergency, saying it has the means to control any further unrest.
France's main trade unions have called a nationwide cgt union mobilisation for 5 November. Union representatives met the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, on Wednesday but no concrete announcements followed. Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, said: "There is huge and legitimate anger, and the answer to that situation is not repression."
Violent protests in European countries including Italy and Belgium have added to concerns that anger over living standards could spread across the continent amid budget problems; Italy's government ordered 500 troops to Milan to stem street violence. The gilets jaunes march in central Paris on Saturday, alongside student protests the same day, now stands as the government's next big test.
