Macron and the government are trying to resolve the issue of the protests by focusing on reforms and dialogue. However, the possibility of an early election to break the deadlock cannot be ruled out

Whilst public debate focuses on the Maranza, there is a section of the country – which has always regarded the centre-right as a natural partner – that is protesting

“On Tuesday, the Russian disinformation network Matryoshka circulated 12 pieces of fake news on X about the protests in France, impersonating various French media outlets, including France24, Le Figaro, BfmTv and Le Parisien,” says Colon, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris

From the pro-Russian Doppelgänger network to Iranian and Algerian media, Moscow, Tehran and Algiers have exploited the protests to fuel discontent and attack Macron. Brussels is investigating foreign disinformation campaigns that are alleged to have helped stir up the demonstrations

“Young people perceive social dynamics as at a standstill: they struggle to find work and feel ill-prepared to face a society undergoing rapid technological transformation,” the former prime minister told Bloomberg

On social media, footage of the violence, looting and destruction that struck several French cities over the weekend has been widely shared and commented on within the American extremist sphere. This has fuelled a narrative linking public disorder to France’s progressive migration policies