French President Emmanuel Macron has described as “stupid” claims by foreign leaders, including US President Donald Trump, that Muslim migrants were behind the recent riots in France. He accused them of exploiting the unrest for political gain.
Macron spoke on Wednesday in Qatar, at the end of a tour of Gulf Arab energy suppliers. Protests over rising living costs had triggered widespread rioting and looting across French cities, drawing international attention.
Trump used the violence to rally his supporters, making unsubstantiated claims that Muslim migrants were responsible. He also urged Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!
“Macron said foreign actors had manipulated information after the violence in Paris and other cities over the weekend. “That has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said. Asked whether he meant Trump, he replied: “Among others.”
He also criticised AI-generated images allegedly showing events that never happened in France. “We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false,” he said. He did not identify the images or explain how he established that they were false.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said his office could give the countries concerned the necessary clarification. He said this would help them avoid spreading or amplifying false information and making baseless claims on social media.
Macron accused foreign leaders in the middle of election campaigns, “in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic”, of naively repeating AI-generated content. He said they were using France for their own political campaigns. “And we don’t need that,” he said. He added that those speaking ill of the country “don’t love our country”.
Macron and Trump once enjoyed a cordial relationship, but the US president has repeatedly mocked him in public speeches.
Macron’s office said the Gulf tour aimed to find solutions to the energy crisis and secure supplies of oil, gas, diesel and jet fuel.
