Samuel Petrequin
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron has accused foreign leaders – including those “on the other side of the Atlantic” – of seeking to exploit France’s tense social climate for political gain following last weekend’s street violence and looting.
Speaking during a trip to Qatar, Macron said there had been “foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath” of the looting in Paris and other French cities.
“And that has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said. “We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.”
Macron said foreign leaders “in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic” were “naively” repeating AI-generated images and spreading “narratives” about what was happening in France to serve their own political goals.
The French president did not specify which AI-generated content he meant, or how he knew it was false.
Last weekend’s unrest began with protests over conditions in schools and soaring living costs and escalated into widespread rioting and looting that has drawn worldwide attention and shocked many French citizens.
US President Donald Trump has used the violence to rally his political supporters, making unsubstantiated claims that Muslim migrants were responsible for the unrest, and urging Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!”
Asked in Qatar whether Trump does not like France, Macron told reporters: “Well, one has to admit it. All the people who are speaking ill of our country right now are people who don’t like our country.”
Macron and Trump once enjoyed a good relationship, but Trump regularly mocks the French president in his public speeches.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who is also fighting an election – told Israel’s i24 channel that France had been hit with an “invasion of extremist Islam”.
He said he had told Macron after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023: “If we do not eliminate them here, you will have them in Paris.” “That is exactly what is happening,” he added.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said his office could provide the countries concerned with the necessary clarification, “to help them avoid spreading or amplifying false information and making baseless claims on social media”.
Macron secures diesel supplies
Macron’s remarks in Qatar came at the end of a tour of key energy suppliers in Gulf Arab states, where he secured an additional 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates, with a further 100,000 tonnes to be confirmed in Bahrain.
His office said he travelled to the Middle East to find solutions to the energy crisis and rising energy prices, and to secure supplies of oil, gas, diesel and jet fuel.
The Elysee said it could secure nearly 295,000 additional tonnes of diesel per month, including supplies from Saudi Arabia – equivalent to more than 10 per cent of France’s monthly diesel consumption. Macron later travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “to continue efforts to secure and diversify oil and gas supplies,” according to his office.
Earlier this month, the Group of Seven wealthy democracies agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products, beginning with substantial quantities of diesel after the fuel’s price hit a record high in the United States.
New protests planned
Fuel, energy and food prices have surged in recent months, and it remains to be seen whether Macron’s announcement will ease protesters’ anger. He said the additional diesel supplies addressed “some of the anxieties”.
“I also hear the concerns of our high school and university students. Those concerns stem from other factors, but in any case, I think things are moving in the right direction,” he added.
High school students have raised concerns about underfunded schools, dilapidated facilities and staff shortages, particularly in lower-income neighbourhoods. Some also say school days, which often run from 8am to 6pm, are exhausting and the university admissions system is complex and unfair.
France has had two consecutive quiet nights since the weekend’s unrest. Curfews have been imposed in parts of several major cities, including small areas of Paris.
Further protests are planned for Thursday and Saturday following calls from student unions and groups within the Gilets Jaunes (“yellow vest”) movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019.
Paris police said on Wednesday they would ban Thursday’s planned protest, citing concerns for public safety and the protection of property.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who met union representatives on Wednesday, said a “massive” security operation was planned for Saturday to prevent a repeat of the violence by small groups of rioters that had exposed shortcomings in security measures.
Macron said his government would use legal methods to prevent further outbreaks of violence.
“Those who intend to cause disturbances in city centres next Saturday will be prevented from doing so. Tomorrow, we will also have a very detailed update on the implementation of these measures, including anticipation, intelligence gathering and security, not just for Saturday, but also for the coming weeks,” he said.
AP
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