DOMINANT ANGLE
Singapore weighs the room for maneuver of a Macron at the end of his term: a massive device has contained the street, but social anger is spreading and public finances are limiting his response.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Interior Ministry reports 1,314 arrests, 53 police officers injured, 75 fires, and 24 looted businesses after October 24 (CNA).
- 02
Unions and Yellow Vests call for protests on October 31 and a national strike on November 5 (Straits Times).
- 03
In Italy, 9 people arrested and 371 detained, including 110 minors, during the October 24 protests (CNA).
ANALYSIS
À Singapour, Saturday, October 24, is first and foremost a test for Emmanuel Macron. The Straits Times and Channel News Asia report that 410,000 people marched according to the Ministry of the Interior, and up to 800,000 according to the CGT, including 110,000 to 250,000 in Paris. The Parisian procession took place on the southeast edge of the capital to denounce the high cost of living and inequalities.
The two titles describe largely peaceful gatherings, followed by clashes at nightfall. The CRS fired tear gas and used water cannons against about 500 hooded young people who were throwing stones. In Marseille, young people blocked a street and set fire to trash cans; two jewelry stores were targeted. Incidents also affected Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Nantes, and Nice. The Straits Times notes that the violence was less than the previous week.
The numerical toll comes from the ministry, cited by CNA: 1,314 arrests, 53 police officers injured, 75 fires, and 24 looted businesses. Laurent Nuñez had warned: "We will not tolerate any violence". He reported two seriously injured protesters, in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand. A 20-year-old man had several fingers torn off, according to a rescue worker cited by AFP. The Straits Times reports that critics accuse the executive of doing too much and warn that the troubles could repeat every week.
The Singaporean press is mainly interested in the president's room for maneuver. Unions and Yellow Vests are calling for new rallies on October 31 and a national strike on November 5. Murielle Guilbert (Solidaires) mentions "an aggregation of anger". In 2019, Macron was able to lower the cost of fuel; seven years later, public finances leave little latitude, as the presidential election approaches next spring.
The Italian aspect is treated in parallel. According to CNA, a few thousand people demonstrated in Milan and Rome, with 9 arrests and 371 people detained, including 110 minors. Minister Matteo Piantedosi praised the work of the police, and Giorgia Meloni's government has tightened its security rules. The Straits Times links the anger to budget cuts and the cost of living.
SOURCES (2)
- Straits TimesMEDIUM
