Russia, energy: Macron briefs candidates to succeed him on geopolitical risks

Faced with a "rapid deterioration" of the geopolitical situation and fuel prices that have "become unbearable", French President Emmanuel Macron held a confidential meeting on Friday with the main candidates for the 2027 presidential election or their representatives.

On the agenda are the risks facing France, particularly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Emmanuel Macron, who spoke after the meeting, warned that "the nature of Russian aggression and threats in Europe is changing".

Russia, suspected of wanting to test the West, is accused of conducting hybrid operations in Europe.

The president said he had requested the preparation of a "plan to protect our critical infrastructure" in the face of these attacks which have already affected several countries.

"The intention behind these attacks is to intimidate us and undermine the effort to support the Ukrainians. The result will be the opposite," the French president asserted. "We are not intimidated because we know that our security, both today and tomorrow, is at stake in Ukraine," he added.

Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, the center-right presidential candidate, indicated upon leaving the meeting that Emmanuel Macron had been "very clear on the need to continue sending messages to Russia" without "entering into belligerence".

Marine Tondelier, the Green Party candidate, said that there were "reasons to be very worried" about Moscow's "destabilization efforts".

The president and the intelligence services "are essentially telling us that the scenario of a quick settlement of the conflicts" in Ukraine and the Middle East "no longer exists, and that these conflicts risk becoming bogged down and that therefore the crisis risks lasting," the communist candidate Fabien Roussel had previously declared upon leaving.

He reported having asked Emmanuel Macron and the government to "take action" to "lower taxes" on energy.

- "Rapid degradation" -

The same request had been made upon his arrival by the president of the National Rally (far right) Jordan Bardella, representing the candidate Marine Le Pen: "accept a reduction in fuel taxes" to respond to the "suffering" of "working France".

Emmanuel Macron subsequently announced that France would convene a G7 meeting dedicated to "energy issues", which will be held "in the coming weeks", in particular to "make progress on better coordination on stock levels".

The candidate from La France insoumise (radical left), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was also represented.

The other main candidates present were: Gabriel Attal (centre right), Bruno Retailleau (right), Raphaël Glucksmann and Olivier Faure (left).

The Elysée justified the meeting by citing "the rapid deterioration in the international situation in recent days", in order to discuss "the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and their consequences in France on security and energy".

President Macron was accompanied by the heads of intelligence, military authorities and the director general of energy.

At the top of the state, there is indeed some apprehension being shown towards social anger over this energy inflation, and calls for mobilization in October, while trying to scrutinize possible similarities with the "yellow vest" movement which had tarnished the beginning of Macron's presidency in 2018.