PoliticsLes Misérables: Macron’s ‘sense of detachment’ amid rising costs and youth fears

France’s escalating protests highlight a widening gap between political leaders and public frustration, prompting questions about the country’s long history of social unrest. Chris Reynolds, a French and European studies professor at Nottingham Trent University, says President Emmanuel Macron’s latest address showed a troubling “sense of detachment” and did little to address the structural grievances behind the demonstrations.