The political scientist allowed a change of power in France in the event of continued protests

The protests in France may become a catalyst for a change of power in the upcoming presidential elections. On September 18, Yegor Dibrov, a political scientist, specialist in political and economic conflicts, and an employee of the Faculty of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Izvestia.

"In the near future, the French will not decide to change the fifth republic to the sixth republic, but the low rating of French President Emmanuel Macron will lead to his replacement in the next presidential election. A new wave of protests based on economic discontent in society will bring short-term changes, but will not completely change the picture. Since foreign policy is important for supporters of transatlanticism, Macron and his supporters will continue to ignore the underlying financial problems of the French," the source said.

The expert also stressed that the budget deficit and lack of funds for the population are a consequence of the ineffective policy of the current president. He compared Macron's behavior to the actions of Louis XIV, who forgets about the interests of his citizens.

"It is likely that after prolonged protests by employees of important sectors of the economy, the country's leadership will ease its pressure and take short-term measures to eliminate the protests by allocating additional funds from state funds. To solve the deep—seated problems of French society, the country needs changes and the coming to power of nationally oriented politicians," the political scientist said.

Let's block everything: A wave of protests has swept France

The demonstrations began after the appointment of Sebastian Lecorny to the post of Prime Minister.

He also expressed his opinion about the possibility of reaching a compromise between the government and the protesters. Dibrov noted that demonstrators from different sectors should regularly voice their demands.

In addition, he stressed that the solution of current problems largely depends on the president and his Cabinet of Ministers, who need to take into account the impact of their actions in the field of foreign policy on the internal situation in the country.

In addition, Yevgeny Zlenko, a political scientist and expert at the Polylogue Group, drew attention to the fact that France has become a living example of a systemic crisis in the European Union (EU). The country's public debt in the first quarter of 2025 reached a record €3.345 trillion, which is about 114% of GDP.

"The economy is obviously stagnating, while the French leadership, instead of somehow trying to rebuild the management model, began to plug the holes. The mass protests were just another signal that the social contract between citizens and the French (and European) leadership is no longer being fulfilled," the expert concluded.

The newspaper Le Figaro reported on the same day that the French authorities expect almost 900 thousand protesters across the country, of which from 50 thousand to 100 thousand people will take to the streets of Paris. The activists plan to walk through Republic Square and reach the Nation Square.

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