French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned what he described as foreign attempts to exploit recent unrest in France for political purposes, criticizing remarks made by international figures, including former U.S. President Donald Trump. The comments came in the wake of widespread protests and violent demonstrations across French cities last weekend, which have drawn significant global attention and stirred public concern.
The demonstrations, initially triggered by rising living costs, escalated into riots and looting, prompting a heated debate about the causes and consequences of the unrest. Trump seized on the events in tweets urging Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late,” while attributing the violence to Muslim migrants—assertions that French officials have firmly rejected.
Macron denounced such claims as unfounded and politically motivated. Speaking during a visit to Qatar at the conclusion of a tour of Gulf states focused on securing energy supplies, Macron said there has been “foreign manipulation of information” related to the disturbances. “That has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said when asked if he was referring to Trump. Macron highlighted the circulation of artificial intelligence–generated images purporting to show events that never happened, as well as narratives falsely claiming that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed Macron’s concerns, noting that his ministry stands ready to engage with foreign governments to provide clarifications aimed at preventing the spread of false information and unfounded allegations on social media platforms.
The deterioration of relations between Macron and Trump has been notable in recent years, with Trump frequently mocking the French president in public addresses. Macron remarked that many of the critiques leveled against France amid the unrest come from individuals who “don’t love our country,” expressing frustration at the politicization of the crisis. He suggested that some leaders, particularly those engaged in election campaigns either in the Middle East or across the Atlantic, have propagated misleading narratives, sometimes relying on AI-generated content, to leverage the situation for political advantage.
Macron’s visit to the Gulf Arab states aimed to address the ongoing energy crisis affecting France and Europe more broadly, particularly the surge in fuel prices. He secured commitments for an additional 100,000 metric tons of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates, with a further 100,000 tons pending approval in Bahrain. His office also indicated that nearly 295,000 tons of extra diesel monthly might be procured, including supplies from Saudi Arabia, representing over 10 percent of France’s monthly diesel consumption. Following Qatar, Macron traveled to Saudi Arabia to continue efforts to diversify oil and gas sources, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The visits followed a recent agreement among Group of Seven (G7) nations to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products to ease supply pressures. Macron reminded reporters that France had played a leading role in initiating the G7 meeting that led to the planned release of strategic reserves, which are expected to contribute to lowering fuel prices beginning in early November.