President Emmanuel Macron criticized foreign leaders for politicizing recent unrest in France, as his government prepared for further protests amid a deepening social crisis. Speaking during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday, Macron alluded to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both engaged in election campaigns, accusing them of making “stupid comments” about the riots for political gain without explicitly naming them.
The French president’s remarks came in response to efforts by Trump and Netanyahu to link the protests to immigration and extremist Islamist influences. Trump, campaigning for the Republican party ahead of the US midterm elections, attributed the violence in France to “migrants, jihadists, and communists” while endorsing far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who leads current polls and shares his political views. Netanyahu, facing his own electoral challenges, described the situation in France as an “invasion of extremist Islam.” However, analysts have largely dismissed these assertions, stating that migrants are not the driving force behind the unrest.
France has been grappling with widespread protests triggered by soaring living costs, which escalated last weekend into violent street clashes involving masked youths targeting police, looting stores, and vandalizing public property. French authorities have admitted to losing control during the turmoil, which has tarnished the country’s image abroad and unsettled financial markets just six months before presidential elections.
In a surprise visit to Riyadh on Wednesday, Macron became the first Western leader to travel to Saudi Arabia since the intensification of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels earlier this month. The trip, part of a Gulf tour aimed at securing additional oil and diesel supplies, sought to lower energy prices in France—one of the underlying causes of the unrest. Macron emphasized that his visit was a part of his official duties to “ease tensions” over rising gas costs and affirmed that “there must be no sign of febrility.”
The French presidency said the visit was intended to demonstrate solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Houthi attacks and to strengthen efforts to secure and diversify hydrocarbon imports. Earlier Wednesday, Macron confirmed France had deployed troops to help protect the Yanbu oil terminal on the Red Sea from assaults by the Houthis. He described France’s role as defensive and stressed the importance of resuming dialogue with the rebel group.
Yanbu has become critical for Saudi oil exports after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz at the onset of the Middle East conflict. Following Macron’s announcement last month of military support to protect the terminal, the United Kingdom also pledged fighter jets to assist Saudi Arabia in defending against the increased Houthi attacks.
During his Gulf tour, Macron secured commitments for an additional 200,000 tons of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as two terawatt-hours monthly of liquefied natural gas from Qatar, reinforcing France’s efforts to stabilize energy supplies amid domestic unrest.