Macron scolds Trump over ‘stupid’ remarks about riots
French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised foreign leaders for trying to exploit the French riots for their own political agenda.
He labelled comments blaming the riots on immigration as unacceptable and “stupid”, including those remarks made by US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. AAP
Macron, speaking during a trip to Qatar on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), said: “We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.”
Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied: “Among others.”
The French and US presidents once enjoyed a good relationship but Trump now regularly taunts Macron in his public speeches.
Trump, campaigning in mid-western US states ahead of the November midterm elections, has attempted to blame migrants for the violent unrest in France.
“The fact is, all the people who are speaking ill of our country right now are people who don’t love our country,” Macron said. “So those people really bother me.”
“When I see leaders who are in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic - who sometimes naively repeat AI-generated content or spread narratives that certain circles are clearly trying to promote about what happened in France - they’re using our country for their own political campaigns,” said Macron. “And we don’t need that.”
Foreign leaders have claimed the riots in France are being driven by migrants.
What Trump has said on French unrest
Trump has tried to put the blame on migrants, urging Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!”
“If Europe doesn’t close its borders and bring the criminals out, like the people that are protesting, Europe is finished,” Trump said this week.
“When I look at France, when you look at Italy, when you look at all the turmoil and the hatred - that’s not about school. That’s about people coming into the countries that hate the country.”
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is campaigning ahead of elections in October, has also said the unrest in France has been triggered by an “invasion of extremist Islam”, reports Le Monde.
Paris residents inspect the burnt-out remains of a car on Tuesday after a quieter night in the French capital. AP
More protests planned
Further protests are planned for Thursday and Saturday following calls from student unions and groups within the “yellow vest” movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019.
Authorities have said a “massive” security operation, including the deployment of troops to support police, will be launched to deter more violence.
France has had two consecutive quiet nights since the weekend’s unrest. Curfews have been imposed in parts of several major cities, including small areas of Paris.
- With The Associated Press
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