Macron blames Gulf conflict for fuel costs, vows looters will pay

French President Emmanuel Macron said the fuel price rises that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets stem from the conflict in the Gulf. He announced a trip to the Gulf states on Monday to secure energy supplies and warned that those who looted and vandalized would pay.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the fuel price rises that drove hundreds of thousands of French people into the streets stem from the Iran-linked conflict in the Gulf, a conflict in which France has taken no part. He announced that he would travel to the Gulf states on Monday morning to secure his country’s energy supplies.

Macron made the remarks in a televised speech from the Élysée Palace on Sunday evening, the day after protests against the high cost of living turned into looting, vandalism and car burnings in several cities.

Securing energy since February

Macron said France had taken international steps since the war began in February to secure fuel and gas supplies and would continue those efforts by visiting the Gulf states. He added that the government had agreed with fuel distributors on measures to pass savings on to prices at the pump.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Élysée Palace in 2026

“Anger and shame”

Saying the country felt “anger and shame” over what happened, Macron declared: “Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it.” He stressed, however, that hundreds of thousands of people had demonstrated on Saturday to voice legitimate demands, saying: “We must never confuse them with those who destroyed, smashed and looted.” The Interior Ministry put the number of protesters at about 550,000.

Macron blamed the violence on “factious elements from ultra-left groups, joined by numerous criminals,” warning: “Those who destroyed must pay. Those who looted must repay.” He added that “those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable.”

2,397 arrests, 997 security personnel injured

The Interior Ministry said on Sunday evening that 2,397 people were arrested during Saturday’s unrest and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously. The unrest affected several cities, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Limoges.

Macron promised “full transparency” about how the security forces handled the events. He asked Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez for “clear answers” on intelligence and advance preparation, and asked the justice minister to urge prosecutors to act firmly.

Measures and dialogue

He announced that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu would chair a crisis unit on Monday to speed up aid to affected shopkeepers, and that prefects, in coordination with mayors, would be able to ban some gatherings if necessary. Lecornu will also call on parties and unions to condemn the violence and appeal for calm.

Addressing young people, Macron noted that the protests began three weeks ago with high school students and acknowledged “a deep anxiety” among them. He said an Education Ministry online platform had received more than 100,000 contributions and announced upcoming meetings bringing together students, teachers, unions and employers.

Macron did not declare a state of emergency or a curfew despite reports in the French media, and, six months before the presidential election, he called for the contest to be fought through dialogue rather than in the streets.

Opposition criticism

The opposition criticized the speech. National Rally leader Jordan Bardella called it “lamentable” and “cowardly,” France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon blamed the government for the destruction, and CGT union leader Sophie Binet said the president “has understood nothing of what is happening in the country.”

Macron blames Gulf conflict for fuel costs, vows looters will pay