by Olesya Orlenko
[Regnum] Demonstrations by teachers and students in French schools that began in October 2026 escalated into mass protests, accompanied by pogroms and riots.
Some journalists and experts in France and around the world see this as an attempt by certain political forces to sow chaos. Others point to it as a logical development of the systemic crisis the country is currently experiencing.
But both sides agree on one thing: what is happening shows that President Emmanuel Macron has ceased to represent the people he leads.
On October 18, the French president addressed the nation. From his first words, the head of state expressed a feeling of "anger" and "shame" that he and, he said, all French people felt when they saw the images showing the aftermath of the destruction in various cities. “We all ask ourselves: how could the French do this?" he said, with the utmost seriousness.
| Some of it is native French, who do love their protesting Communist cadres. A lot of it is Moslem colonists merrily committing jihad on the natives, like that silly shopkeeper who protested her support even as they looted her shop in front of her, and probably worse. |
Current events are more reminiscent of the student unrest of 1968 than of a revolution.
| The student unrest of 1968 was meant by Moscow to be a revolution, or at least set up the conditions for it, after which the Soviet Union would add another brotherly Communist revolutionary government to its conquests. Somehow it didn’t work then, thank goodness, but if it does now the result will not belong to Russia, in the end, but to the Ummah. |
| That’s because they see him as the weak point, for some reason. |
The fact that Macron is at the center of popular discontent is confirmed by yet another record low in his popularity. Only 15% of French people have a positive opinion of him.
As a result, the vast majority of the population assesses the economic situation extremely negatively. According to the latest data, 91% of French people are pessimistic or "extremely pessimistic" about the country's situation. And these sentiments are reflected in specific trends.
For example, young French people are increasingly leaving the country in search of better wages and an accessible labor market. However, a significant portion of those who have left have no plans to return, believing that problems at home will not be resolved in the near future.
Here again, it is appropriate to recall with a degree of irony that in his first presidential term, which began in 2017, Macron positioned himself as a spokesman for the interests of young people, being the youngest head of state: at the time of taking office, he was not yet 40 years old.
However, if we analyze the statements he has made over the past ten years, we get the impression that he rather distrusts representatives of this age group.
In that same address to the nation, Macron never once mentioned his own guilt for what is happening. Meanwhile, even his own supporters are increasingly trying to distance themselves from his policies.
Thus, former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, a member of the president's Renaissance party, said that responsibility for the current crisis lies with the personal decisions of the head of state. And former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a candidate for Macron's party in the 2027 elections, stated in response to the current unrest that he "does not understand" the president's actions.
The French President also expressed support for the security forces, who have been opposing the protesters throughout. However, both the actions of law enforcement and the organization of their work have also been harshly criticized.
Government and administrative buildings were damaged in many cities. Images of the burning city hall in Limoges were seen around the world. Mayor Benoît Paillant of Marseille, where protesters also stormed the city hall, condemned the central authorities for their "inability to ensure order and tranquility" for residents.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez took the fall for the security forces' failure to respond to the protests, blaming himself for "losing control" of the situation. Macron, for his part, placed the blame for the unrest on the far-left groups that had gained control of the streets.
The protests themselves are extremely heterogeneous, with high school student leaders emerging from various political camps. The authorities are already in contact with some of them. For example, on October 15, Education Minister Edouard Geffrey met with a delegation of schoolchildren led by Pierre Surzat, a 17-year-old student who is speaking out against the escalation of the protests.
And Louise Montangon, a supporter of the National Rally and a member of the student union, entered into a debate with Attal on television, accusing him of connivance and of worsening the situation in France.
At the same time, the authorities understand that, other than promises that virtually no one believes, they have no other recourse when dealing with the protesting population. The only remaining option is to intensify repression. Harsh police action is accompanied by the prospect of restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. For example, Attal has officially declared the need to block social media to impede communication between protesters.
And again, it seems ironic if we recall how enthusiastically the French media and authorities hailed the role of students fighting against the “bad” government during the coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014 or during the anti-Russian demonstrations in Georgia.
Meanwhile, even those media outlets that have been extremely negative in their coverage of the protests are questioning how little effort the head of state is making to end them. Aside from the aforementioned televised address, Macron hasn't engaged in dialogue with the people, leaving all the dirty work to the government and loyal parliamentarians.
Moreover, on October 16, journalists captured footage of him and his wife attending a Celine Dion concert, dancing and singing along to their favorite tunes and songs. This fact outraged even the most conservative experts.
The French aren't the only ones trying to explain the president's baffling behavior. The international press has been discussing a point that has been voiced many times: Macron has long since shifted his focus to foreign policy, including support for Ukraine, because domestically, he's been plagued by nothing but failures.
And he sees no prospects for emerging from the “endless twilight” that covers France today.
Related:
Riot 10/19/2026 WHO'S WHO: Inside France's 'Chaos Inc' franchise of communist groups, labor unions and global activists
Riot 10/19/2026 Stop pretending the French riots are anything but an attack on civilization
Riot 10/19/2026 Vance: France Riots a Result of Liberals ‘Importing Third World' in Name of ‘Diversity and Compassion'
Riot 10/19/2026 WHO'S WHO: Inside France's 'Chaos Inc' franchise of communist groups, labor unions and global activists
Riot 10/19/2026 Stop pretending the French riots are anything but an attack on civilization
Riot 10/19/2026 Vance: France Riots a Result of Liberals ‘Importing Third World' in Name of ‘Diversity and Compassion'