French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn criticism over his attendance at a Céline Dion concert on the eve of nationwide protests, with images of the presidential couple enjoying the performance fuelling accusations that he is out of touch with public anger.
Macron and his wife Brigitte watched the singer’s October 16 show from a private box at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris. Le Parisien reported their presence that evening, ahead of Saturday’s demonstrations over rising living costs and deteriorating public services.
Footage of the couple, including Brigitte singing and dancing, circulated on social media as France prepared for a major mobilisation involving students, trade unionists and Yellow Vest protesters.
French outlet Le Tribunal du Net reported that some users accused the president of ignoring their concerns, while others invoked Louis XVI to ridicule what they viewed as presidential indifference. The criticism began before Saturday’s marches, when authorities were already preparing for possible disorder.
The outing also drew scrutiny on French radio. Europe 1 published a discussion under the headline: “We would have preferred to see him alongside law enforcement.”
By Monday, Le Monde reported that Macron had been criticised on social media over the concert as he sought to respond to the wider crisis. His Sunday address acknowledged public anxiety but offered no concrete answers to the student movement’s principal demands, the newspaper said.
The concert took place a day before the widespread rioting, which saw shops looted and public buildings attacked across several cities. Hundreds of thousands also demonstrated peacefully.
Macron condemned the destruction in his Sunday address, while acknowledging that peaceful protesters had legitimate grievances over prices and public services.
His response drew criticism beyond the concert controversy. Greens leader Marine Tondelier accused him of summoning opposition figures like schoolchildren instead of accepting responsibility, while former prime minister Edouard Philippe said he had expected decisions and initiatives to restore order.
