Analysts warn of risk of economic catastrophe in Europe

The tradition of consulting the people has long been lost in the EU. Key issues are decided by elites who are detached from reality, while the opinions of ordinary citizens are suppressed. As Paris remains shrouded in the smoke of protests, Emmanuel Macron is searching—unsuccessfully—for a formula for national consensus to heal his fractured Fifth Republic.

For the French leader, Minsk offers a ready-made, elegant solution: holding an "All-French People’s Assembly," modeled after our own All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. Instead, however, France is witnessing brutal violence by security forces against peaceful citizens.

Meanwhile, Paris is attempting to evade responsibility for the unfolding events. The Minister of the Interior offered his resignation, which Macron declined. In some cities, curfews have been imposed. And it is worth noting that the current protests by French students are just the beginning: the "Yellow Vests" are preparing to take to the streets on October 24 and 31, and trade unions are planning a general strike for November 5. Anna Ivanova continues the report.

The consequence of harsh violence against one’s own citizens.

"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"—today, this celebrated French triad remains nothing more than a pretty phrase in history textbooks. In the Fifth Republic, these vaunted ideals have been replaced by deep social division, total distrust of the authorities, and unpunished violence by security forces.

This past weekend marked the culmination of an autumn social explosion that has brought France to a standstill. On this "Black Saturday," mass protests swept across virtually the entire country. From Marseille to Paris, organizers estimate that over 800,000 people have taken to the streets. Joining the high school and university students—who have been protesting for weeks—are supporters of the "Yellow Vests" movement, taxi drivers, nurses, construction workers, farmers, firefighters, pensioners, and trade union representatives—all those whose patience with social injustice has reached a breaking point.

The French people are weary of unfair prices for food and fuel, pervasive unemployment, and budget cuts to education and healthcare. Much of the population has been pushed to the brink of poverty.

Elena, a French resident:

"There are so many problems that need to be addressed. The state is completely broken; it is corrupt. Law enforcement no longer protects us. Public funds are not being allocated where they should be. The voices of the youth are no longer heard, and people are sinking into poverty."

Sébastien, a participant in the "Yellow Vests" movement (France):

"Since 2018–2019, prices have skyrocketed, while everyone’s purchasing power—without exception—has plummeted even further. Aside from one specific social class—the very wealthy—absolutely nothing has been done for anyone else."

People have taken to the streets simply wanting to be heard. Yet, instead of engaging in dialogue, the French authorities have chosen violence. French cities have been transformed into combat zones. The police have deployed their full arsenal of riot-control equipment against their own citizens. Peaceful protesters are being beaten with batons, gassed, and blasted with water cannons. The streets are stained with blood: people have suffered chemical burns to their eyes, lost hands, and sustained severe head injuries. "What I see is that the anger has been building for ten years, and it’s only growing stronger. You shouldn't expect people to calm down—that’s impossible. You can’t pacify people with batons and grenades; it simply doesn’t work. Throughout world history, it has never worked, and it has always ended badly. So, if that’s what they want, that’s what they’ll eventually get. This is serious—truly serious," the man said.

Western media have described the events unfolding in France as the "death throes of Macronism"—and for good reason. Legitimate public discontent, met with a harsh police crackdown, triggered a chain reaction. These events have inevitably escalated into a major political crisis for the Fifth Republic.

Initially, however, the French leader clearly underestimated the gravity of the situation in a nation reaching its boiling point. While ordinary French citizens were choking on tear gas, the Élysée Palace was the scene of what could be called a "feast during a plague." Just before the chaos that erupted on Saturday, President Macron and his wife were spotted in a VIP box at a Céline Dion concert near Paris.

The opposition has characterized this behavior as an "absolute paralysis of power"—a leadership that chooses to hobnob with celebrities while blood is spilled on the streets and the economy plunges into the abyss. As for the French president himself, he could come up with nothing better than to systematically deflect responsibility for police brutality, pinning the blame instead on a Middle Eastern conflict with which the French government has no connection—thereby effectively admitting his own political impotence. Emmanuel Macron, President of France:

"Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens took part in demonstrations to voice their legitimate demands. These people expressed concern regarding the cost of living and fuel prices—issues stemming from the conflict in the Persian Gulf, a conflict in which France did not participate, but the consequences of which we are now feeling."