French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised what he described as “stupid comments” from some foreign leaders over the protests and violence that swept parts of France.
Speaking to reporters in Qatar on 21 October 2026 during a tour of Gulf states, Macron rejected claims that migrants were behind the unrest.
He said there had been foreign manipulation of information following the weekend’s events.
“This has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” Macron stated.
When asked whether he was referring to United States President Donald Trump, the French leader replied: “Among others.”
Rejection of Migration Narrative
Trump had claimed without evidence that France was being “conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity.”
Macron dismissed such assertions as false.
“We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false,” he said.
He also noted the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated images depicting scenes that never occurred in France.
Macron accused some leaders of exploiting the situation for their own political campaigns, particularly those in election periods “whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic.”
“They are using our country for their own political campaigns,” he said. “And we don’t need that. We already have difficulties to deal with.”
The French president added that those speaking ill of the country at this time “are people who don’t love our country.”
The remarks came after nationwide protests over the cost of living and public services turned violent in several cities over the weekend of 17 and 18 October 2026, resulting in thousands of arrests and injuries to security forces.
French authorities have attributed much of the violence to far-left militants and opportunistic looters rather than migration-related factors.
