Macron Defends Middle East Trip Amid French Social Crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing widespread criticism for traveling to the Middle East during a major social crisis and after violent unrest in France on October 17-18, but he defends his decision, saying he remained fully informed and in control. Macron, who visited Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from October 19-21, stated he had daily briefings with the Prime Minister and Interior Minister and gave clear instructions. His former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe called the trip "inopportune," while ex-President François Hollande described the government as "weak" and the president as "absent," citing a lack of experience with major protests. Macron also hit back at foreign critics, notably US President Donald Trump, who supported Marine Le Pen and linked the violence to immigration, saying such leaders "do not love our country." He condemned La France insoumise for tolerating "ambiguous" positions on violence. Upon returning October 21, he scheduled crisis meetings with intelligence services and security forces for Thursday.