French President Emmanuel Macron has been left facing criticism from both the Left and Right following his 13-minute speech on Russian threats and new geopolitical order.
“Russia has become, as I speak and for years to come, a threat to France and Europe,” Macron stated on March 5, accusing Russia of violating European Union borders to assassinate opponents, manipulate elections in Romania and Moldova and conduct cyber attacks.
Macron also said the Ukraine war was a “global conflict” due to the presence of North Korean troops and Iranian weapons.
His comments led to a backlash from the Left and the Right.
Right-wing politician Florian Philippot accused Macron of “dramatising the situation” and pushing France towards war.
National Rally (RN) MP Laurent Jacobelli went further, saying he was “playing on fears” and using the Ukraine war as a cover for domestic economic failures.
“Russia has attacked Ukraine illegally, but to suggest that it wants to invade Europe seems to me to be completely far-fetched,” RN MEP Thierry Mariani said on March 6.
The Left also piled in, accusing Macron of using fear to justify his national policies.
Manuel Bompard of left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) accused Macron of scaring the public to justify social sacrifices.
“He has chained us to American interests while pretending there’s a military solution in Ukraine. Now he’s stuck but refuses to admit the obvious: Non-alignment and independence from NATO,” Bompard said on March 5.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure echoed similar concerns, warning that Macron’s policies risked gutting public services while pushing pro-war spending.
Instead, he called for “fiscal patriotism”.
“We must appeal to fiscal patriotism and make the ultra-rich contribute. This is what [late former US president] Roosevelt had the courage to do to finance a war economy,” he said.
While recognising Macron’s analysis of “a change of an era”, LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon argued that France should not engage in conflict.
“Absolute priority: The security of our own borders on five continents, ecological security, military security and the social needs of the population Down with war!” he insisted.
In reaction to Macron’s speech, senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev condemned the French leader’s analysis of current events, saying: “Such an erroneous analysis leads to fatal errors.
“Macron maniacally imposes on his citizens, allies and the entire world a completely false concept of what is happening – ‘the Russians are coming!’ Such false conclusions and false suggestions lead to the abyss,” he said.
According to news agency Reuters, Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said Macron had slandered Russia with lies and military propaganda.
Maria Zakharova accused the French President of being disconnected from reality.
Macron “makes statements every day that are completely disconnected from reality and contradict his previous statements”, she said on March 6.
He also confirmed his willingness to open France’s nuclear arsenal to Europeans — an idea already rejected by the RN days earlier.
During his speech, the President announced an increase of the defence budget and investment.
“We will have to make new budgetary choices and additional investments, which have now become essential,” he stated.
Macron’s speech came as European leaders were convening in Brussels for a Special European Council summit on the Ukraine war and defence starting March 6.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been accused of attempting to grab more power for Brussels after unveiling her €800 billion “rearm Europe” plan. https://t.co/dyUopU0Ds7
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 4, 2025
