The Elysée Palace is rattled. Gendarmes deploy tear gas in Biarritz as black-clad anarchists smash windows. The G7 summit hasn't even started. This is not a normal security operation. This is a sovereignty crisis unfolding in real time.
I've been on the phone with sources in Paris. They tell me the protests are not just about climate change or globalism. They are a direct challenge to Macron's vision of a strong, independent France. The President spent years positioning himself as the champion of European sovereignty. But at home, his authority is bleeding.
Leaks from within the Interior Ministry suggest the government considered cancelling the summit altogether. That would have been an unprecedented admission of weakness. Instead, they opted for a massive show of force. 13,000 police officers are deployed. That's more than the number of delegates. It's an occupation of a resort town.
The irony is not lost on the protesters. They see the G7 as a club of the global elite. Macron's 'sovereignty' agenda looks like a pretext for entrenching that elite. The yellow vests, the anti-capitalists, the climate activists: they are all converging on the same target. And the police are struggling to contain them.
I have a source inside the protest coordination team. They claim the clashes are deliberately timed to coincide with the leaders' first working dinner. 'We want to be on the front pages,' they said. And they are. But this is not just a PR stunt. It's a symptom of a deeper fracture in French society. Macron's popularity is at a new low. Polling data from this morning shows his approval rating at 29%. That's a 10-point drop since last month. The riots in Paris over the summer have not helped. The government's response to the heatwave was seen as aloof. Now this.
Downing Street is watching closely. The British delegation arrived this morning looking tense. Boris Johnson's own political troubles are piling up. But he can still rely on a working relationship with Macron. Or could. The British ambassador in Paris has been sending increasingly alarmed cables. One leak I've seen describes the situation as a 'political firestorm' that could overshadow the summit. The Americans are frustrated. Trump had already announced he'd skip the climate session. Now his advisors are worried about security risks.
The game here is about control. Macron needs to demonstrate he can maintain order. If the protests spiral, his entire political project is undermined. The far right is already capitalising. Marine Le Pen released a statement this afternoon accusing Macron of 'surrendering French sovereignty to international financiers.' That line will resonate with the protesters in the streets.
I'm hearing from a contact in the presidential advance team that Macron may address the nation tonight. That's a high-risk move. It could defuse tension or pour petrol on the flames. If he comes across as arrogant, the clashes could intensify. The police are already exhausted. Some are reportedly disobeying orders to hold the line. A mutiny inside the ranks would be a nightmare for the interior minister.
The coming hours are crucial. If the violence spreads to other cities, the G7 talks will be derailed. There is already talk of cancelling the social programme. The leaders' dinner is being moved from the lighthouse to the secure hotel. That's the first sign of panic. I'll be monitoring every leak. This is a story that will define the summit before it even begins.
