Macron rebukes foreign leaders over unrest rhetoric
In the letter, Macron says he is making a personal appeal to Trump to reconsider the sanctions, which he argues were unjustly imposed. PHOTO: AFP
Far-right politicians around the world have blamed immigration for France's recent riots, exploiting the unrest ahead of crucial elections despite there being no established link between the violence and immigration.
The riots, which erupted from protests over the cost of living, have become a talking point for politicians in the United States, Spain and Israel, where populist leaders face electoral tests. French President Emmanuel Macron, however, appeared to criticise the foreign leaders.
US President Donald Trump claimed France had been "conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists". Spain's far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal warned of "Islamo-leftism", while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described France as facing an "invasion".
Marine Le Pen, France's far-right presidential candidate who is leading polls for next year's election, has blaming "decades of anarchic immigration" for the country's problems. Macron condemned "people who campaign at France's expense" and the "stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders".
Political scientist Pascal Perrineau said people from immigrant backgrounds were among those involved in the unrest, but represented only one section of a diverse crowd that also included students, revolutionary activists and radical "black bloc" protesters.
The demonstrations initially involved students complaining about poor conditions at school before widening into broader anger over inflation and the cost of living. Perrineau warned that France's presidential election campaign could become "extremely agitated" amid years of recurring protests and deep social divisions.