Spain

Madrid, October 18, 2026. For the Spanish press, France is "burning". ElDiario.es headlines with "Francia arde en una jornada de protestas con 2.000 detenidos": over 2,000 people were arrested on Saturday, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, including over 550 still in custody on Sunday in Paris, at least 150 of them minors. More than 600 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured, and one person died in Paris from a cardiorespiratory arrest, according to the prefecture.

The reports emphasize the coexistence of two realities. Peaceful marches, which HuffPost España estimates at 550,000 people according to the government and 800,000 according to the organizers, took place against the rising cost of living and the deterioration of public education. Just a few meters away, violent groups attacked public buildings, luxury shops, supermarkets, and police vehicles. In Limoges, the town hall is "practically destroyed"; the mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, describes the streets of the city center as "devastated". ElDiario.es compares the day to December 1, 2018, the third act of the Yellow Vests, when the Arc de Triomphe was damaged.

On Sunday at 8 pm, Macron addressed the French in a video message recorded at the Élysée. He denounced "troublemakers from ultra-left groups, joined by many delinquents" and stated: "Nada lo justifica, nada lo explica, nada lo excusa." ElDiario.es notes that he announced no special measures, except for better coordination between prefectures and town halls that could go as far as banning "certain gatherings". The newspaper also notes that the head of state is leaving on Monday for an official visit to several Gulf countries, and that he has called on parties and unions to meet.

HuffPost España sees these violent acts as the trigger for a political crisis, which led Macron to convene an extraordinary council of government. The newspaper reports new clashes on Sunday at the Place de la République, with barricades, burned bicycles, and looted shops, as well as attempted looting in Lyon. The English-language website Euro Weekly News, based in Spain, focuses on the image of the Palestinian flag hoisted on the statue of the Republic and wonders: "Could Spain be next?"

The headline of ElDiario.es about the government that "does not listen" and "represses" sets the tone for a critical reading: violence is condemned, but the Spanish press points to the gap between the social anger expressed in the streets and a presidential response focused on order.