Macron accuses Trump and Netanyahu of using the riots in France for electoral purposes

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday harshly criticized several foreign leaders for using the recent riots in France to their own election campaigns, in a veiled allusion to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking to journalists in Doha, Qatar, Macron stated that some leaders are in "election campaign mode," whether "in the region or across the Atlantic," and that they are doing so "at France's expense." He also condemned the "unacceptable and even stupid comments" made by these leaders, based on fake videos generated by artificial intelligence.

Diplomatic tensions have arisen following a wave of urban violence that shook several French cities over the weekend. Although the initial protests were motivated by the rising cost of living and most participants remained peaceful, clashes broke out between masked youths and security forces, along with looting of shops and destruction of public buildings in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. The French government admitted that the police had "lost control" during the clashes.

During rallies for his party's midterm elections, Trump attributed the violence in France to immigration, stating that the country "is on fire" and associating the unrest with "immigrants, jihadists, and communists." He also publicly praised the leader of the French far-right, Marine Le Pen.

In an interview with Israeli media, Netanyahu stated that France had suffered an "invasion of extremist Islam" and asserted that he had warned Macron that if he did not eliminate the extremists on the ground, "they would come to Paris."

Macron categorically refuted these accusations. He stated that French authorities did not detect any "visible interference" from foreign powers in the riots, but that there was indeed "manipulation of foreign information after the fact," which led to erroneous statements by foreign leaders.

He stressed, in particular, that some leaders gave credence to false images generated by artificial intelligence, which claimed that France was "invaded by hordes of immigrants and Islamists," underlining that this claim is "completely false." Macron also criticized Trump's support for Le Pen, stating that "at times like these, you can see who likes France and who doesn't."

Macron's criticism is particularly relevant because the US and Israeli election calendars are imminent: the US midterm elections are scheduled for November, and the Israeli legislative elections for the end of this month, with Netanyahu facing a difficult struggle for political survival. By speaking now, Macron aims to prevent the French internal crisis from being exploited for external political agendas.