French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism from political rivals over his response to nationwide unrest that damaged thousands of businesses, while the Socialist Party left open the possibility of talks with his government.
At an Oct. 19 government briefing, Commerce Minister Serge Papin put the initial number of businesses damaged or looted at 3,000 or more. Estimates of the Oct. 17 protest turnout also differed: the Interior Ministry counted 550,000 demonstrators, while the Socialist Party put the figure at 800,000. The ministry said more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.
In his Oct. 18 address, Macron promised to prosecute those responsible for property damage and acknowledged concerns about living costs and conditions for students. He tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with arranging discussions during the week of Oct. 19 with representatives from education, labor, business, local government and parliament. Macron also ordered a review of how security services assessed and prepared for the violence.
The Socialist Party said inadequate policing had left businesses and public buildings exposed. It called for action on wages, fuel prices and schools, and said it would answer the government's proposal to meet.
National Rally President Jordan Bardella condemned Macron's address. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe also criticized the response, writing on X that France needed to be governed.
Lecornu subsequently told prefects to consider local curfews and announced aid for businesses affected by the unrest. The measures include short-time work support beginning Oct. 20, intended to help damaged shops reopen and protect jobs.
Macron dissolved the National Assembly, France's lower house, in 2024. The election that followed left no party with a clear majority of its own. France's national statistics agency, Insee, reported general government debt at 119.0% of gross domestic product at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet said she would propose an inquiry into the violence and the policing response at an Oct. 20 meeting of parliamentary leaders.
