The President of the Republic will address the nation tonight. The address by Emmanuel Macron comes on the heels of the manifestation du 17 octobre, a day of protest against the cost of living that turned into clashes in numerous cities. In Paris, the march departing from Place de la République alone records a record number of arrests.
The meeting is set for 8 p.m. this Sunday, October 18, 2026. Ahead of the address, the president will convene at the Élysée Palace Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the relevant ministers, as the presidency stated, according to Franceinfo’s live coverage.
If the president addresses the nation tonight, it’s because Saturday’s events unfolded on an unusually large scale. The first day of the All Saints’ break looked nothing like a calm start. High schoolers, students, the Yellow Vests, unions, and parents marched arm in arm against the high cost of living and the conditions of study. We laid out the day’s agenda in our piece on the October 17, 2026 strike.
The day looked set to be tense. The Police Prefecture refused the declared route to the Concorde and ordered a backup path, while issuing prohibitions in several areas. The negotiations behind these decisions are detailed in our piece on the Paris march route.
In the field, the turnout was quickly overshadowed by the clashes. According to the Interior Ministry, about 110,000 people took to the streets in the capital. The Paris police prefecture reports 855 arrests in Paris, a figure it itself calls a record. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, 557 people are in custody, including 151 minors.
Nationwide, the outlook is heavy. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported more than 2,000 arrests and over 600 police, gendarmes and firefighters injured, a figure he said remains provisional, according to ICI. Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice and Limoges are among the cities affected.
The war of numbers extends to turnout as well: 550,000 protesters according to the Interior Ministry, 800,000 according to the organizers. On the business front, the Federation of Trade and Distribution reports about 1,500 merchants hit directly. Its president, Alexandre Bompard, estimates the damage at several hundred million euros.
The presidential address begins at 8:00 p.m. As with every solemn speech, it will be broadcast live on television, on the news channels, and on the Élysée website. Immediately afterward, Laurent Nuñez will field questions from Anne-Claire Coudray on TF1's 8 p.m. news bulletin, the channel announced.
The substance of the speech has not been disclosed. One thread, however, is emerging. As early as Saturday night, Emmanuel Macron said on X that those responsible for the looting, including the town halls, would be pursued and punished. A hardline approach is expected to feature prominently.
Political pressure is mounting in lockstep. Marine Tondelier, head of the Greens, is calling for Laurent Nuñez’s resignation, accusing him of failing to foresee the violence. In the Senate, Socialist Patrick Kanner is pushing for a debate on the policing framework. The cost-of-living issue, which sparked the protests, also remains on the table.
The social movement isn’t slowing down. The next date is already set: a nationwide interprofessional strike on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA, and FSU are urging workers in both the public and private sectors, retirees, and young people to strike and take to the streets on that day for wages, public services, jobs, and industry, as detailed in the joint call. As early as Saturday evening, the CGT urged continued peaceful mobilization ahead of that day.
This evening, many Parisians are mainly keen to see how the plan will unfold, balancing a judicial response, the security of businesses, and dialogue with a youth movement that has been mobilized since mid-September. We are following the address and will update this article as soon as the first announcements come in.
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