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Marine Le Pen attacks Emmanuel Macron after the violence in France and accuses him of being “lacking in credibility and authority”

Raluca Ioana Draghici

19 October 2026, 06:59

International

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Marine Le Pen attacked Emmanuel Macron after the violence that shook France and accused the country's leadership of no longer having credibility and authority. The statements were made on Sunday, less than two hours before the president's address, amid the resurgence of looting and clashes with law enforcement in Paris.

The Rassemblement National candidate in the 2027 presidential election said that France is going through “a crisis of confidence” and described the situation as “a threat to democracy.” Marine Le Pen attributed responsibility to the “far left” and Emmanuel Macron.

The violence continued on Sunday afternoon in central Paris, particularly around Place de la République. Several hundred people clashed with law enforcement, while groups of young people with their faces covered attacked and looted shops. The special CRS-8 unit was deployed for the second consecutive day, following an appeal circulated on social media for an unauthorized gathering.

RN President Jordan Bardella said, during a visit to a police station in Paris, that “there is no order left today in France” and that the country “was humiliated” on Saturday night.

According to the prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône, more than 30,000 people were reportedly involved in looting during the day on Saturday.

Context: Macron promised investigations and punishments after the violence in France, while social tensions fueled the protests

Following the violent protests in France, Emmanuel Macron announced legal measures against those involved in vandalism and looting, saying that the perpetrators would have to answer before the law and compensate for the damage. He asked the Government to examine how the incidents unfolded and explain why the intelligence services had not anticipated their scale, promising transparency and swift investigations.

At the same time, Macron called for a distinction to be made between those who destroyed property and protesters with demands considered legitimate, mentioning concerns related to the cost of living and rising fuel prices. The President expressed his support for law enforcement officers, injured people, and affected shopkeepers, while the prime minister was expected to lead a crisis unit to mobilize aid and support the victims.

Before the speech expected on Sunday evening, the protests were described as being rooted in discontent over rising costs and the state of public services, with confrontations that escalated into attacks on law enforcement and looting. In this context, there were also political reactions linking the violence to issues such as immigration and border control.