With only months left in his presidency, Emmanuel Macron faces mounting social unrest and political criticism that could ultimately shape his legacy.
After student protests over living conditions erupted into violence last Saturday, Macron has come under fire from across the political spectrum over his handling of the security situation and his response to grievances over education, the cost of living and inflation.
The unrest comes as France grapples with record public debt, soaring fuel prices and escalating 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.
Addressing the nation, Macron condemned violence and announced new operational procedures for security forces.
The Paris prosecutor’s office reported 855 arrests linked to the demonstrations, with 557 people placed in police custody, 433 of whom were adults, representing 78% of those detained.
“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 add to the 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 aims to secure energy supplies as prices rise. However, his decision to leave Paris amid the crisis has drawn criticism, with some accusing Macron of evading the situation.
Le Pen capitalises on chaos
Across the political spectrum, several potential presidential candidates have argued that Macron has lost authority and that his response came too late.
“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 measures to restore order if the National Rally came to power. “France is caught in a vice between powerlessness and violence,” he said.
Polls put Marine Le Pen ahead of all her potential rivals in the 2027 presidential race. She faced Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 run-offs, losing both times.
In the aftermath of 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 and law and order, issues that have traditionally resonated with far-right voters, while playing down foreign policy issues such as the war in Ukraine and wider geopolitical tensions.
Macron faces criticism from former allies
Macron has also faced criticism from his 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 employ all means “so justice is done” including AI facial recognition and deploying the army “if necessary”. Macron did not announce extra security measures on Sunday, asking local authorities to coordinate with the police.
The divided French left, riven 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 members of the government have also acknowledged shortcomings in the response.
Police fiasco
On Monday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted there had been a “lack of anticipation” in preparations. He offered to resign “because I felt responsible for everything that happened”, but Macron rejected his request.
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 exposed to the threat of no-confidence votes.
Beyond the immediate security crisis, commentators argue that Macron has alienated 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 led to 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 parallels with the Yellow Vests movement, which erupted in December 2018 amid widespread anger over purchasing power and the rising cost of living.
“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.
