French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the media on Wednesday, saying that certain foreign leaders, including some from “the other side of the Atlantic,” are trying to use France’s current social unrest for their own political gain. This unrest follows a weekend marked by protests, violence, and looting, driven by significant increases in living costs, and has drawn international attention and raised concerns among many French citizens.
US President Donald Trump has publicly used this unrest to galvanise his political base, making unfounded assertions that Muslim migrants are to blame for the disturbances and urging President Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late.”
In response, Macron said there has been “foreign manipulation of information” after the looting, adding, “This has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are misguided from many individuals, including foreign leaders.” When asked whether he meant President Trump specifically, Macron replied, “Among others.”
Macron highlighted the existence of “AI-generated images depicting scenes that never actually occurred in France” and stressed that claims of an invasion by large numbers of migrants and Islamist extremists are entirely false. However, he did not elaborate on which AI-generated images he was addressing or how he verified their inaccuracies.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot affirmed that his office stands ready to provide necessary clarifications to the affected countries “to assist them in avoiding the dissemination or amplification of false information and unwarranted claims on social media.”
While Macron and Trump once enjoyed a cordial relationship, tensions have surfaced as Trump frequently critiques the French president in his public speeches. Macron articulated, “All individuals who speak disparagingly about our country at this moment are those who do not truly value our country. Their remarks are disconcerting.”
He further remarked, “When I observe leaders engaged in election campaigns, whether locally or across the Atlantic, naively repeating AI-generated content or supporting narratives that certain groups are actively promoting regarding events in France, they are effectively using our country for their political agendas. This is unnecessary and unwelcome.”
Authorities have imposed curfews in several major cities, including parts of Paris. Student unions and the “yellow vest” movement have planned protests for Thursday and Saturday. On Wednesday, Paris police announced a ban on Thursday’s protest due to public safety concerns.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that a “massive” security operation is set for Saturday to prevent violence from small groups of rioters. President Macron emphasised, “We are using legal means to prevent further disturbances.” Authorities will provide detailed updates on security measures for Saturday and the coming weeks.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
