Macron orders infrastructure protections and calls G7 meeting as energy prices climb

Briefing on energy and security threats

On Friday, 18 September 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron convened political party leaders and candidates for next year's presidential election at the Élysée Palace for a three-hour crisis meeting. French intelligence chiefs presented briefings on national vulnerabilities linked to Russia's war in Ukraine and the armed conflict in the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Both conflicts have driven fuel prices to new peaks across France, prompting fuel depot blockades by fishermen in the Mediterranean and calls for wider social mobilization in October. Macron insisted during his address that domestic price increases are caused by foreign wars rather than French executive actions.

“The situation we face is serious. It is serious due to the international situation and the consequence of wars that we endure.”

Infrastructure protection and hybrid risks

Macron announced that he instructed authorities to strengthen defenses around France's critical infrastructure and domestic defense production facilities. The order follows an escalation in Russian hybrid warfare and cyber operations across the European continent. French officials cited recent attacks on a Ukrainian passenger train and at Leipzig airport in Germany as evidence of this activity. A day prior to the Élysée meeting, on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia intended to strike European allies of Ukraine using drones or rockets. Guillaume Lacroix, leader of the Radical Party of the Left, stated after the briefing that the security assessments presented by intelligence officials were deeply alarming.

Energy diplomacy and G7 initiative

To counter hydrocarbon shortfalls and stabilize markets, Macron revealed that France will convene an emergency G7 energy meeting in the coming weeks. The French executive has engaged in recent discussions with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to secure petroleum and natural gas supplies. Macron confirmed plans to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday to negotiate bilateral trade in petroleum goods and liquefied natural gas. Concurrently, French diplomats are seeking solutions to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Macron urged the European Union to accelerate refinery processing rates and expand total energy output to diminish dependence on fossil fuels.

Fiscal limits, social tension and political reaction

France's fiscal framework limits state intervention, as the government is preparing a €54 billion budget reduction for next year. While Macron indicated that targeted assistance plans are under development, he cautioned that general subsidies would expand public deficits or require tax increases. The meeting brought together prominent figures including former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, conservative candidate Bruno Retailleau, center-left leader Raphaël Glucksmann, Greens leader Marine Tondelier, and Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen was represented by party president Jordan Bardella, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon was represented by lawmaker Manuel Bompard. Following the three-hour briefing, several opposition attendees told reporters that the executive had dismissed household purchasing power concerns and failed to present concrete solutions for rising living costs.