A Presidency Under Siege
Emmanuel Macron entered office in 2017 as a symbol of renewal and optimism. Within a year, his image would be lit by the flames of burning roundabouts and smashed shopfronts.
His reforms, especially those touching the cost of living and social protections, ignited some of the most intense protests France had seen in decades.
The Yellow Vests Erupt
The first major shock came with the Yellow Vests movement from 2018 to 2020. Originally sparked by anger at fuel tax hikes, it grew into a broader revolt against perceived elitism and inequality.
Opponents branded Macron the "president of the rich." Demonstrators in high‑visibility vests blocked roads, occupied roundabouts, and marched on Paris. Week after week, clashes with police turned city centers into battlegrounds. By late 2018 his approval ratings had crashed to around 25%.
The Yellow Vests weren’t tied to any party or union. They were the raw voice of people who felt invisible in a technocratic, globalized France—and saw Macron as its embodiment.
Pension Wars
As the Yellow Vests simmered, Macron turned to overhauling the pension system. In late 2019 and early 2020, plans to create a single, national system and adjust retirement conditions triggered another wave of strikes and demonstrations.
Public transport in Paris slowed to a crawl; vandalism and mass marches became regular scenes. Though the government tweaked the retirement age, it ultimately forced the reform through by decree under Article 49 of the Constitution, bypassing a normal parliamentary vote.
The project was then paused as COVID‑19 struck—but the underlying conflict never truly disappeared.
In 2023, Macron tried again, this time simply raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Once more he used Article 49.3 to override a divided parliament. The backlash was ferocious: nationwide protests and a no‑confidence vote that came within nine votes of toppling the government.
The Streets After Nahel’s Death
By 2023, public anger took a different form. When 17‑year‑old Nahel M. was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop, riots exploded across France, reaching an intensity comparable to the 2005 suburban uprisings.
Macron’s government responded with overwhelming force: 45,000 police officers deployed and instructions to courts to deliver harsher, faster sentences. Over 2,000 people were arrested within days.
The episode reignited debates about policing, discrimination, and the social fracture running through French suburbs.
Governing in Permanent Tension
From Yellow Vests to pension battles to the Nahel riots, Macron’s presidency has unfolded amid near‑constant street pressure. Each crisis has chipped away at trust in institutions, even as the government pressed on with its agenda.
The protests left an indelible mark: they turned a president elected on a promise of “democratic revolution” into a leader defined, in the public eye, as much by riot shields and decrees as by reform and renewal.