Macron faces mounting pressure as unrest exposes deepening political strains

With only months remaining in his presidency, Emmanuel Macron is confronting escalating social unrest and growing political criticism that could shape his legacy.

Violence following student protests over living conditions has prompted criticism from across the political spectrum, with opponents accusing Macron of mishandling security and failing to address concerns about education, the cost of living and inflation.

The unrest comes as France deals with record public debt, soaring fuel prices and international conflicts.

The Yellow Vests movement, which has helped coordinate the protests, announced a “second act” on Monday, with further demonstrations planned for next weekend.

In an address to the nation, Macron condemned the violence and announced new operating procedures for security forces.

The Paris prosecutor’s office reported 855 arrests linked to the demonstrations, with 557 people placed in police custody. Of those detained, 433 were adults, representing 78% of the total.

“Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves: What was going through their minds? How can French people do this to France?” Macron said. “Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it. Tonight, we all feel anger and shame.”

The response is likely to intensify pressure on Macron, whose performance was viewed unfavourably by 82% of respondents in an Ipsos-BVA poll conducted in October.

The French president is currently on a diplomatic trip to the Gulf, which the Élysée says is intended to secure energy supplies as prices rise. However, his decision to leave Paris during the crisis has drawn criticism, with some accusing him of avoiding the situation.

Le Pen seeks political gains from disorder

Several potential presidential candidates from across the political spectrum have argued that Macron has lost control and responded too slowly.

“We have the feeling that the government is collapsing under its own weight, that it is completely overwhelmed,” said Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally, which is leading in polls ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Monday, Bardella pledged tough action to restore order if the National Rally came to power. “France is caught in a vice between powerlessness and violence,” he said.

Polls place Marine Le Pen ahead of her potential rivals in the 2027 presidential race. She faced Macron in the 2017 and 2022 runoff elections, losing both times.

Following the looting, Le Pen said France had been “ravaged” by “an alliance of criminals from the banlieues and politicised professional rioters”.

Le Pen is expected to focus her campaign on migration, public security and law and order, issues that have traditionally resonated with far-right voters, while giving less prominence to foreign policy issues such as the war in Ukraine and wider geopolitical tensions.

Former allies distance themselves from Macron

Macron has also faced criticism from former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, both of whom are running in the 2027 presidential election.

Both are seeking to distance themselves from Macron and his political legacy.

“Like millions of French people, I would have preferred to see decisions and initiatives aimed at restoring order,” Philippe wrote on X.

Attal called on the state to use all available means to ensure “justice is done”, including AI facial recognition and deploying the army “if necessary”. Macron did not announce additional security measures on Sunday, instead asking local authorities to coordinate with the police.

The divided French left, already strained by internal tensions, accused the government of failing to protect citizens.

“This is unprecedented in its gravity,” Raphaël Glucksmann, a French MEP and social-democratic contender in the 2027 presidential election, told RTL radio. “I had the feeling that France was dissolving, that the Republic was disintegrating, that the state no longer existed.”

Bruno Retailleau, another presidential hopeful representing the conservative Les Républicains party, described Macron as “completely out of his depth, incapable of deploying the full force of the state against the chaos threatening the Republic”.

He cited the arson attack on Limoges town hall and vandalism at Marseille’s town hall.

Senior government officials have also acknowledged shortcomings in the response.

Security response under scrutiny

On Monday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted that preparations had suffered from a “lack of anticipation”. He offered to resign “because I felt responsible for everything that happened”, but Macron rejected the offer.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin likewise acknowledged that the authorities had “undoubtedly failed” in their response, citing “shortcomings in intelligence gathering”.

Macron has found few defenders among his former allies, some of whom blame the current political turmoil on his decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024. The move plunged France into political uncertainty, leaving successive governments vulnerable to no-confidence votes.

Beyond the immediate security crisis, commentators argue that Macron has alienated many of the young people who helped propel him to power in 2017.

Some protesters have criticised his 2018 high-school reforms, arguing that changes to the organisation of specialist subjects have resulted in longer school days.

In a recent opinion piece, Le Monde described Macron’s relationship with young people as a “major political failure”.

The article drew comparisons with the Yellow Vests movement, which emerged in December 2018 amid widespread anger over purchasing power and rising living costs.

“Restoring public order is an essential prerequisite for beginning the talks promised on Sunday with all stakeholders and, in doing so, resuming a social dialogue that has been broken for far too long,” the piece concluded.

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