Macron blames Iran war and Hormuz blockade for France's purchasing-power unrest

French President Emmanuel Macron has attributed the wave of social protest in France to the war in Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the jump in fuel prices that followed, rather than to any decision taken by his own government. According to a report carried by the Israeli broadcaster N12, Macron said these factors were the main trigger of the current purchasing-power crisis, and that neither tax increases, a government decision nor pension reform had set off the protests.

The remarks came in an interview Macron gave following the recent riots in France, the Israeli Telegram news channel Abu Ali Express reported. That account also says Macron criticised social media platforms, saying they are obliged to remove large quantities of illegal content under their own terms of use but do this rather poorly. He pointed to October 17, when, by his account, a great deal of content calling for looting and extreme violence circulated online.

What Macron said about the cause

Both reports give essentially the same version of Macron's central argument. In it, the French president separates two possible explanations for the unrest. One is domestic: taxation, government policy and changes to the pension system, all of which have been sources of public anger in France in the past. The other is external: a war involving Iran, the closure of a major shipping route and the resulting rise in what people pay for fuel.

Macron placed the blame firmly on the second. In the wording reported by both outlets, he described the war, the Hormuz blockade and the subsequent fuel price increases as the main factor that ignited the purchasing-power crisis. "Purchasing power" is the term widely used in French politics for the cost of living: how far household income stretches when prices for fuel, food and other basics rise.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters to France

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the open sea, with Iran on its northern shore. It is one of the most important routes for oil and gas shipments from Gulf producers to world markets. Any disruption to traffic through it tends to push up energy prices far from the region, including at fuel pumps in Europe.

The reports refer to a blockade of the strait and to a war in Iran, but they do not describe either in detail. For readers following events from Israel, the significance of Macron's remarks is that a European head of state is linking domestic unrest in his own country directly to the conflict involving Iran and its effect on energy supplies.

The social media argument

The second part of the interview, as summarised by Abu Ali Express, concerns online platforms. Macron's position, in that account, is that the companies already have a duty to take down illegal material, and that they are failing to do so adequately. He singled out October 17 as a day on which calls for looting and severe violence spread widely. The Abu Ali Express text breaks off partway through this point, so the rest of his argument on social media is not available in the material.

N12's report, filed by correspondent Asaf Rosenzweig, focuses only on the remarks about the causes of the protest and does not mention social media.

How the two reports compare

The two Israeli outlets agree on the substance and near-exact phrasing of Macron's statement about the war, the blockade and fuel prices. They differ slightly in how they describe the events in France: Abu Ali Express speaks of recent riots, while N12 refers to widespread demonstrations. Neither report gives the name of the outlet that conducted the interview, and both appear to be relaying it secondhand.

What the reports do not say

The material leaves several questions open. It does not say which media organisation interviewed Macron, when the interview took place, or whether it was broadcast or printed. It gives no figures on the size of the protests, the number of arrests or injuries, or the cities affected. It does not say how much fuel prices have risen in France. It does not describe the war in Iran or the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, including who is enforcing the blockade or since when. It does not specify which social media platforms Macron had in mind, or whether his government plans any action against them. Finally, the reports carry no response from protesters, opposition parties or the platforms themselves to the president's account.