French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day tour of the Middle East on Monday, October 19, visiting Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The Elysee Palace stated the trip is intended to discuss the Strait of Hormuz crisis and secure energy supplies to limit the impact of the energy crisis on French citizens. The visit coincides with a period of civil unrest in France, where more than 500,000 people protested over the weekend against the cost of living and the state of public services.
The demonstrations, which took place in cities including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon, resulted in violence and looting on Saturday, October 17. According to reports, more than 2,400 people were arrested and hundreds of buildings were vandalized in the capital. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting on Monday, October 19, where he urged regional governments to implement partial curfews. Lecornu attributed the violence to "ultra-left" movements and cited intelligence reports suggesting these groups intend to create disorder ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Critics of the president, including academic David Lees and law expert Benjamin Morel, stated that the timing of the diplomatic trip may lead to perceptions that the administration is "out of touch" with domestic concerns. Public scrutiny was also directed toward images of the president attending a Céline Dion concert on Friday evening shortly before the unrest began. Former lawmaker Jean-Baptiste Moreau stated he urged the president to prepare for an early departure from office to address the political deadlock, while mayors of major cities questioned the government regarding security forces' lack of preparation for the riots.
The current unrest involves more than 500,000 French citizens who participated in weekend protests and the residents of major urban centers like Paris and Marseille where partial curfews may be implemented. The scale of the unrest was marked by over 2,400 arrests following the vandalism of hundreds of buildings. For the average household, the outcome of President Macron’s energy negotiations in the Gulf is intended to address the rising cost of living and energy price inflation, though the specific timeline and amount of potential relief remain unconfirmed.
The situation places pressure on French national institutions and the economy. With public debt exceeding 110% of GDP and a growing deficit, the government has fewer financial options to address public grievances compared to the 2018-2019 Yellow Vest protests. Critics like Dr. Lees suggest this could lead the government to rely more on executive decrees rather than legislative debate in the National Assembly. These internal tensions are occurring as political parties begin positioning themselves for the presidential election scheduled for April.
What happens next depends on the scheduled "second act" of demonstrations organized by the '17octobregiletjaune' group for the upcoming weekend. The government is monitoring the activities of left-wing movements following intelligence briefings, while opposition figures like Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon are responding to the unrest. President Macron is expected to conclude his three-day regional tour following stops in Kuwait and the UAE to address the Strait of Hormuz crisis and energy stability.