Politicians from across the political spectrum have accused the French president of undermining public services and failing to maintain order<\/p>\n
French opposition leaders have blamed President Emmanuel Macron and his government\u2019s policies for the wave of violent unrest sweeping the country.
\nThe latest round of demonstrations by students and public sector workers over the high cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into rioting, vandalism and looting in Paris and other cities on Saturday. Thousands of people were arrested, while hundreds of police officers were injured.
\nMarine Le Pen, who leads first-round polling for the 2027 presidential election, described Macron as a president \u201cwithout credibility or authority\u201d who had \u201clost all touch with reality,\u201d calling his government \u201ca government on its last legs.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are experiencing a profound crisis of trust and authority that threatens democracy. This should serve as a warning: Our country is caught in a vice, even held hostage, between violence and powerlessness,\u201d she said in a message on X.<\/p>\n
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WATCH smashed storefronts, burned buildings as Europe faces aftermath of latest violent protests<\/p>\n
In July, a Paris appeals court upheld Le Pen\u2019s conviction for misusing EU funds but modified her sentence, lifting a ban that had prevented the veteran politician from the right-wing National Rally (RN) from running for president. She denied wrongdoing and argued that the case was politically motivated.
\n\u201cWe are paying the price for decades of laxity, the erosion of authority, and the moral and material weakening of our domestic security forces,\u201d RN President Jordan Bardella said. \u201cI expect Emmanuel Macron to apologize and step down.\u201d
\nJean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party, told French broadcaster LCI that the protests were \u201cthe result of ten disastrous years during which President Macron has undermined the functioning of the state and public services.\u201d
\nHe accused Interior Minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez and police leaders of \u201ccomplete incompetence\u201d in handling the protests and criticized the use of riot-control weapons, saying they had left people maimed. LFI previously rejected government accusations that it had incited violence.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
French city hall goes up in flames amid nationwide unrest (VIDEOS)<\/p>\n
In a televised address on Sunday evening, Macron distinguished peaceful demonstrators from rioters, insisting that legitimate grievances must be heard while those responsible for violence face punishment.
\n\u201cWe will show no leniency. Listening and dialogue do not mean weakness or impunity,\u201d he said.
\nMacron also pledged to address the concerns of protesting students, who have complained about staff shortages and poor learning conditions. \u201cTheir voices must be heard, without prejudice and without downplaying their difficulties,\u201d he said.
\nMacron\u2019s approval rating has fallen to just 15\u201319%, according to October opinion polls. Meanwhile, Le Pen leads first-round polling for the election in April, with support ranging from roughly 32% to 36%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Politicians from across the political spectrum have accused the French president of undermining public services and failing to maintain order French opposition leaders have blamed President Emmanuel Macron and his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40099,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t