DOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels is dissecting the political reception of Macron's speech: a firmness speech without a social response, deemed insufficient by the French political class six months ahead of the presidential election.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Macron denounced "troublemakers from ultra-left groups, joined by many delinquents" and promised "transparency" on law and order (DH).
- 02
Alexandre Bompard (Federation of Commerce and Distribution) estimates that 1,500 merchants were directly affected, for "several hundred million euros" (DH).
- 03
Fabien Roussel, Marine Tondelier, and Mathilde Panot regret the lack of social responses in an eight-and-a-half-minute speech (La Libre Belgique).
ANALYSIS
Brussels, October 18, 2026. On Sunday evening, Emmanuel Macron addressed the French following the day of demonstrations on Saturday, October 17, which resulted in unrest in many cities. The Dernière Heure retains its opening phrase: "We all feel anger, shame this evening," and its denunciation of "troublemakers from ultra-left groups, joined by many delinquents." The president stated that "those who destroyed must pay, those who looted must reimburse," while distinguishing "protesters with legitimate claims" from vandals.
The Belgian press also notes the promises of "transparency" regarding the law enforcement strategy: the head of state asked the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, to "draw all the lessons." Prefects will be able to ban certain gatherings, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will meet "in the coming days" with parties, unions, student organizations, local authorities, and parliamentarians to "build" solutions to social demands. The DH reports that several opposition leaders are calling for the resignation of the occupant of Beauvau.
The bulk of the Belgian coverage focuses on the reception of the speech. La Libre Belgique and the DH headline with a political class that is not convinced: "Lamentable," "He speaks to say nothing," "Irresponsible." Fabien Roussel regrets that in eight and a half minutes, the president did not provide any answers to the high cost of living. Marine Tondelier welcomes the distinction between protesters and vandals but says she is "very disappointed" that two seriously injured people, in Saint-Étienne and Mulhouse, were not mentioned. Mathilde Panot denounces the lack of response to the demands.
The material aspect is documented by the head of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, Alexandre Bompard, who mentions on LCI 1,500 merchants directly affected and "several hundred million euros" in damages. The DH also reports on new clashes on Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris, where the CRS 8 was deployed for a second day in a row after an undeclared gathering.
The international dimension is only a sideline: La Libre quotes Donald Trump, who writes on Truth Social "France is burning!" and attributes the riots to immigration. It recalls that Macron is maintaining his trip from Monday to Wednesday to four Gulf countries.
SOURCES (2)
- La Libre BelgiqueMEDIUM
- DH (Dernière Heure)MEDIUM
