Macron condemns foreign remarks as France confronts unrest and economic strain

President Emmanuel Macron said remarks from foreign leaders about the recent French protests were "unacceptable" and "stupid," adding that disinformation had fueled the criticism.

"There was foreign disinformation in the aftermath, which prompted comments that were as unacceptable as they were stupid from many people, including foreign leaders," Macron told reporters.

Macron identified U.S. President Donald Trump among those making such statements and warned that politicians were exploiting France's turmoil for political gain. Trump, posting on his Truth social platform, blamed the unrest on "migrants, jihadists, and Communists" and urged Europe to close its borders. Other U.S. Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, have linked the French unrest to Democratic immigration policies ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

The dispute extended to government agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted on X that it was "fighting to prevent American streets from looking like this," while France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs responded with a graphic comparing U.S. firearm homicide rates to those of G7 peers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also called on Macron to heed protesters' demands amid criticism of Iran's own crackdown on demonstrations.

Parallel protests occurred in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and Greece, the latter in solidarity with French students whose grievances sparked the unrest. French student union UNEF and the "gilets jaunes" movement have announced further rallies for the coming weekend.

Domestically, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said military forces would be deployed to maintain order after incidents of looting and arson in several cities. Investors remain wary as France's 10-year bond yield reached a 24-year high, reflecting doubts about the government's ability to implement fiscal consolidation. Parliament is debating the 2027 budget without a clear majority, and the government may consider special powers to secure short-term budget certainty, a move that could heighten political volatility.

Morningstar estimated insured losses from the protests at up to €1.2 billion, noting that the direct economic impact is likely limited but comes at a challenging time for the economy and public finances.

"The direct economic impact on France of the unrest surrounding the 17 October protests is likely to be limited, but it comes at a challenging time for the economy and public finances," Mehdi Fadli, senior vice president for global sovereign ratings at Morningstar, told CNBC.