The key facts
- François Hollande called Macron's government weak and the president 'as if absent'
- In Hollande's opinion, the authorities underestimated the strength of anger in society and the aggressiveness of the protesters
- On October 17, more than half a million people took to the streets; the Interior Ministry promised tough action at the October 24 rallies
Hollande Criticized the French Authorities
Former French President François Hollande, in an interview with the radio station France Inter, said that the government of current President Emmanuel Macron is weak, and Macron himself, according to him, is 'as if absent' in the situation with the unrest in the country. This was reported by Le Figaro.
Mistakes in Maintaining Order
In Hollande's opinion, the French authorities made serious mistakes in maintaining order and underestimated how strong the anger in society is. This, the ex-president believes, led to there not being enough police to disperse the unrest. He is also convinced that the authorities underestimated how aggressive the actions of the protesters could be. 'We are dealing with a weak government. With a president of the republic who is as if absent. With ministers who perhaps lack experience. Undoubtedly, the lack of experience in understanding what social anger can escalate into has taken its toll,' Hollande noted.
Chronicle of the Protests
The protests in France began in late September and were initially connected with problems in the education sector. Then the unrest spread across the entire country and turned into clashes with the police. On October 17, more than half a million people took to the streets, protesting against rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power. On October 20, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that law enforcement forces would act with utmost toughness at the protest rallies scheduled for October 24.
