Sawt Falasteen - Macron takes aim at Trump for using France riots for election gain

Macron, speaking during a visit to Qatar, implied that Trump, and possibly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also in election mode, made "stupid comments" on the unrest for political gain, though he did not name either leader.

"There are people who campaign at France's expense -- leaders who are in campaign mode, whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic," he told reporters in Doha.

Macron made his remarks as he and his government struggled to get on top of a crisis that has scarred France's image both abroad and in financial markets, six months ahead of presidential elections to choose his successor.

France's government has admitted it "lost control" in the frenzy of street violence that erupted last weekend, when masked youths clashed with police, looted shops and vandalised public buildings.

Trump has sought to link the "revolution" in France to "migrants, jihadists, and communists" as he campaigned for his Republican party in the United States on his anti-immigration messaging.

He also on Tuesday hailed French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who shares his ideologies, as a conservative voice, with surveys putting her as the frontrunner in France's presidential race.

Trump's ally Netanyahu, facing his own tough election battle, on Tuesday argued that France had been hit by an "invasion of extremist Islam".

Several analysts have dismissed the claims that migrants were driving France's protests.

- Curfews -

The unrest overshadowed demonstrations held Saturday in which more than half a million people marched nationwide against the cost of living. Those rallies followed four weeks of student protests that have closed many schools across France.

Since the rioting -- the worst France has seen in years -- and ahead of further cost-of-living demonstrations this coming Saturday, Macron's government has warned it will brook no further violence.

Authorities in Paris and several other cities imposed nighttime curfews Monday and Tuesday in certain zones prone to protests or looting.

Macron said that on Thursday he would chair a meeting of key ministers and intelligence officials to receive a "detailed account" of what happened last weekend.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who on Wednesday held a meeting with union leaders organising marches, has vowed a "massive" police deployment for the fresh demonstrations called for Saturday by the Yellow Vest movement protesting rising inflation.

The convulsion in France, the EU's second-biggest economy after Germany, has rattled financial markets already nervous about the country's growing debt pile and deficit.

The yield on the French government's benchmark 10-year bond has been rising, and on Wednesday surpassed five percent as investors demanded a higher return given the fiscal woes. A rising yield signifies a drop in bond prices. The Paris stock market also fell.

On Friday, the Moody's ratings agency is expected to lower its grade on France's public debt.

The country's political landscape is so fragmented that Lecornu has little chance of winning swift parliamentary consensus for a cost-cutting budget that needs to be adopted before the end of this year.

- Le Pen leads race -

The latest survey, carried out by Ifop in the wake of the riots, suggested Le Pen would lead first-round voting intentions by a wide margin and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon emerged as her most likely opponent in the runoff.

France's neighbours Italy and Belgium have also started to experience similar unrest, on a smaller scale. Italy's government has ordered 500 troops to Milan to stem street violence there.

Macron said that "we don't need a state of emergency" that would likewise permit soldiers to reinforce police against rioters, adding that "we have the means" already at authorities' disposal, such as curfews.

While the partial curfews have led to a calming of the situation in Paris and elsewhere, they have disrupted travel for commuters looking to take urban rail after 11:00 pm (2100 GMT).

"It's quite disconcerting," said one Paris commuter who gave only his first name, Louis, when he found his line closed. But "if it can prevent further acts of vandalism... then yes, I think it's a good thing", he said.

The Yellow Vest movement behind last weekend's demonstrations announced Wednesday it had formally told authorities it planned to hold its Paris march on Saturday starting from Bastille square.

The movement also wants to hold follow-up nationwide demonstrations on November 5.

The images broadcast around the world of France's street violence last weekend have prompted several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France.

M.AbuKhalil--SF-PST