Less than a week after a surprise press conference at the Élysée Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation once again in a televised interview on Thursday evening, as the country braces for what many fear could be a turbulent autumn of social unrest.
The presidential address, scheduled for a prime-time slot on France 2 and TF1, comes amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape whose economic repercussions are being felt acutely in France. With fuel prices soaring and public discontent mounting, the question on many minds is whether the president can still command the nation’s attention—and more importantly, whether anyone is still listening.
A President Under Pressure
Macron, who is in the final months of his second term at the Élysée, finds himself navigating a dual crisis. The war in Ukraine grinds on with no end in sight, while Russian hybrid attacks continue to multiply across Europe. Simultaneously, the conflict in the Middle East is driving up energy costs, with fuel prices at the pump reaching levels that have sparked widespread frustration among French households.
The government of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a series of measures on Tuesday aimed at addressing the fuel price surge, including extended aid for high-mileage drivers and support for fishermen and self-employed nurses. But whether these measures will be enough to contain public anger remains uncertain.
A Necessary Intervention?
According to sources close to the president, Macron had little choice but to speak directly to the French people. “The French are experiencing the consequences of international crises firsthand,” an aide explained. “The president’s role is to account for his international actions to protect them, both in terms of purchasing power and security.”
Within Macron’s camp, allies are rallying behind the decision. “Emmanuel Macron is the only one with a 360-degree view of the geopolitical situation and military threats,” insisted one executive advisor. Another added: “He is the head of state, the head of the armed forces, and the guarantor of institutions. It only makes sense that he addresses the French people.”
Political scientist Bruno Cautrès agrees that the president is fulfilling his institutional duty. “The head of state is acting in his role by speaking at a time when the country is deeply worried, with fuel prices skyrocketing and negative economic news piling up.”
Criticism from Across the Spectrum
Not everyone welcomes the president’s return to the airwaves. With the presidential campaign already underway, opposition figures have accused Macron of trying to impose his own timeline on the national debate.
“He clearly behaves as if he imagines himself succeeding himself and being the only one capable of pulling the country out of the ditch,” mocked Eric Coquerel, the left-wing France Insoumise (LFI) president of the finance committee. Fellow LFI deputy Antoine Léaument criticized “the absence of measures to address the crisis,” arguing that “aligning with the United States was always going to lead to a dead end.”
The far-right National Rally (RN) has also intensified its attacks, despite what appears to be a shift in its foreign policy stance. In an unusually harsh statement over the weekend, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella accused Russia of “hostile acts” following Moscow’s takeover of local subsidiaries of French companies. Yet this alignment with the government’s position has not softened the RN’s rhetoric toward Macron.
“This guy is a showman trying to get noticed through indecent agitation,” fumed a close ally of Marine Le Pen. “He embodies both agitation and impotence, manipulation and malice. Everything is out of control—the state he leads, the government he inspires, the public accounts he composes.”
Even within the more moderate parties, concerns persist. “The economic and geopolitical situation is extremely worrying,” acknowledged a senior Socialist Party official, who nonetheless conceded that the president is right to speak twice. But Aurélien Rousseau, a deputy aligned with Raphaël Glucksmann, voiced a different fear: “I worry that he won’t be able to stop himself from re-entering national politics. I fear he will fuel the social anger we feel rising. That would be dangerous for the presidential office.”
A Voice That No Longer Resonates?
The fundamental question remains: can Macron still shape public opinion? His second term has been marked by a failed dissolution of parliament and a steady decline in popularity. According to the latest Ipsos barometer, only 16% of French people hold a favorable view of him—a record low.
“He no longer has any traction in public opinion,” said Cautrès bluntly. “This intervention is a stab in the water, but it remains his institutional role to speak.”
The political scientist added: “Everyone has accepted that in seven months, Emmanuel Macron will no longer be here. There is a great deal of disappointment and disapproval of his policies.”
Coquerel was even more direct: “I don’t believe he is capable of defusing anything because, for the vast majority, their rejection of him persists. People know perfectly well that his policies are largely responsible for the country’s situation.”
The Road Ahead
Macron is expected to argue that rising fuel prices are the consequence of international events beyond any government’s control. “Social mobilizations are always legitimate, but they are effective when they have an outcome that is in the government’s hands,” he noted during Friday’s press conference. “When they protest against the consequences of phenomena that are not the result of government action, they express suffering, but they produce fewer solutions.”
One power advisor lamented that Macron is being treated as “a convenient scapegoat,” almost accused of being behind the fuel price hikes himself.
Yet the political situation remains precarious. Lecornu’s government is preparing for another budget battle in early October. While the RN has signaled it might refrain from a no-confidence vote, nothing is guaranteed. “If diesel reaches 3 euros per liter, how could the RN not censure?” mused a former minister. “If Marine Le Pen’s group brings down the government, the president will once again find himself in the eye of the storm.”
Macron’s final chapter in office is far from written—and it may yet be marked by further upheaval.
