Pressure mounts on Macron as France reels from unrest

Hello from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn, holding the newsletter pen once again today. In this edition: what the unrest in France means for its embattled president, and the latest from Ukraine amid signs of intensified diplomacy.

But first: Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has just told Europe Today that Europe has “fundamentally failed to be competitive”. “The (Mario) Draghi report is sitting on the shelf gathering dust, and Ursula von der Leyen speaks about competitiveness without doing anything about it.”

“She’s useless,” the outspoken CEO said of the Commission chief. “Ursula von der Leyen hides in the Berlaymont, doing nothing but giving speeches.” He also criticised European countries – notably Belgium and France – for high aviation taxes, saying European people will end up paying the price. Watch.

French fallout: As France continues to recover from a weekend of unprecedented violence that has shaken the country to its core, questions are now being raised about where the political responsibility lies – and how the episode could play into the consequential presidential elections happening in just six months’ time.

Macron isolated: My colleague Maïa de la Baume writes in this must-read analysis that the mounting social unrest could ultimately shape French President Emmanuel Macron’s legacy, as he prepares to step down in the spring.

Macron faces fierce criticism for his decision to travel to the Gulf – a trip the Élysée says aims to secure energy supplies as prices rise – while the crisis is playing out at home. Senior members of his own government are even acknowledging shortcomings in the government’s response.

Under fire: Across the political spectrum, potential presidential candidates have argued that Macron has lost authority and that his response came too late – including his former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.

The National Rally’s Jordan Bardella has said that the government is “collapsing under its own weight”. The message has been similar from the left: “I had the feeling that France was dissolving, that the Republic was disintegrating, that the state no longer existed,” Socialist presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann has said in relation to the weekend’s events.

Lecornu leads response: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is in Paris leading efforts to restore law and order while Macron is in the Gulf. He has announcedpartial curfews, which came into effect last night in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Nice.

Tensions felt in Strasbourg: The unrest has also left its mark on the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, where EU lawmakers held an emergency debate last night on the riots that have taken place in recent days in France, Italy and Belgium.

My colleague Vincenzo Genovese, on the ground in Strasbourg, also reports that the European Trade Union Confederation has called a demonstration that is set to take place right outside the parliament building later this morning at 10.00 CET.

Sakharov shortlist: In other news from Strasbourg, MEPs have officially shortlisted three finalists for this year’s Sakharov Prize. They are: the International Criminal Court and its officials, Tanzanian political activist and human rights defender Tundu Lissu, and Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, who represent those persecuted by the Iranian Islamic regime.

Ukraine peace push: Moving on to Ukraine, Reuters reports this morning that US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Norway this week for talks on ending the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend, Reuters reports citing two official sources, as well as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, representatives of the E4 – the UK, France, Germany and Poland – the EU, and NATO.

US envoy Jared Kushner is expected to join the meeting virtually due to an illness. US media also report that the Oslo talks will build on previous discussions held in Miami, where Zelenskyy committed to reviewing peace proposals presented by US negotiators. The Norway meeting is understood to be the result of intensified technical contacts between US, Ukrainian and European representatives in recent weeks.

It comes as Russia continues to pound Ukraine, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. More on that in our top story below.

Ready to issue: The European Commission meanwhile says it remains an “extremely competitive issuer” on the bond market, despite global shockwaves that have sent borrowing costs to worrisome heights. The EU’s 10-year bond has risen from 2.8% in January to 3.44% in September, a marked increase, though much less pronounced than in most European countries.

“This is a dynamic that affects all insurers around the world, and our relative position importantly has not deteriorated,” a Commission spokesperson told my colleague Jorge Liboreiro.

The show of confidence is telling as Brussels prepares to help fill Ukraine’s €70 billion financing gap. The sum is so vast that the bloc is likely to either opt for joint debt or using immobilised Russian assets. Jorge explains why the first option has the advantage.

Trump unleashes fresh criticism of Zelenskyy as Russia launches more attacks on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has unleashed fresh criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf, while claiming Russia has been doing little in the war.

“It’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,” Trump said. “Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven’t been doing much.”

Yet the latest images from Ukraine tell a very different story.

Zelenskyy last night shared a harrowing photograph of a one-year-old girl named Angelina in a pushchair. She was among six people killed when a Russian drone struck a park near a café in the Kharkiv region. Her mother, Inna, later died in hospital. Another girl, aged 11, was also killed, while 14 people were injured, including six children

“Pure atrocity,” Zelenskyy wrote, urging Washington to maintain sanctions on Moscow and provide more air defence assistance.

“Ukraine wants peace. It is Russia that has insisted on continuing the killing all this time,” he added.

Trump has also indicated he’s open to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month, confirming media reports that the three leaders could meet on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen.

More from our newsrooms

EU eyes Arctic cable linking Greenland to Europe amid growing security threats. The European Union is planning a secure submarine cable linking Greenland directly to Europe, with ambitions to extend the network through Canada to Japan and South Korea, according to a draft Arctic strategy seen by Euronews and set to be unveiled today. Luca Bertuzzi and Marta Pacheco have the preview.

Visegrad Four urge Brussels to ease Russian energy phase-out rules. Slovakia and Hungary called on Brussels on Monday for greater flexibility in phasing out Russian gas, arguing that their landlocked position and reliance on existing supply routes make diversification more difficult and costly. Marta Pacheco has more.

Albanian PM Rama accuses anti-government protesters of crossing ‘red line’. Edi Rama has accused some of those taking part in anti-government protests in Albania as having crossed a “red line”, as demonstrations descended into violent clashes with police on Monday. Nathan Rennolds has the details.

We’re also keeping an eye on

• The European Commission will unveil its new strategy for the Arctic. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela will deliver a press conference at 15.30 CET.
• This will be followed by a press conference by the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, and for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, on the Commission’s new vision for fisheries and aquaculture towards 2040.
• The European Parliament’s plenary session continues in Strasbourg.

That’s it for today.Jorge Liboreiro, Vincenzo GenoveseandSasha Vakulinacontributed to this newsletter.

Source: www.euronews.com