Macron addresses France on television as diesel prices reach €2.41 a litre

Broadcast format and political stakes

French President Emmanuel Macron will address the country on Thursday, 24 September 2026 at 20:00, in a 30- to 40-minute television interview broadcast simultaneously on TF1 and France 2. Conducted by journalists Caroline Roux of France Télévisions and Gilles Bouleau of TF1, the interview represents Macron's first joint appearance across France's two main evening news broadcasts since June 2024. The media intervention comes exactly seven months before the first round of the next French presidential election, a vote that will conclude Macron's second and final mandate as head of state.

The televised session follows an intense week of diplomatic and domestic maneuvers. Macron held a surprise press conference on 18 September following consultations with parliamentary party leaders, before traveling directly to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly on international security and multilateral law.

Escalating fuel costs at the pump

The immediate catalyst for the public address is a surge in domestic energy prices tied to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Diesel prices in France have stood at 2.41 euros per litre at fuel stations for several consecutive days, marking the highest level recorded in French retail history. At the same time, SP95-E10, the most widely consumed motor fuel in the country, has traded above 2.17 euros per litre for nearly two weeks, surpassing its previous price peak reached in 2022.

The price spiral has generated growing discontent among daily commuters, leading to increased calls for demonstrations and roadblock actions across regional roundabouts reminiscent of the Yellow Vests protests. In response to mounting public anger, the government of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a series of targeted relief measures on Tuesday, though political opponents and consumer groups have continued to demand broader state interventions.

Rejection of debt-funded tax relief

Macron outlined his policy parameters during a three-hour closed-door meeting at the Élysée Palace with party leaders and prospective presidential candidates. Participants at the gathering reported that the president characterized the spike in pump prices as an external shock driven entirely by foreign wars that the nation is forced to endure.

Macron firmly resisted demands from opposition figures for broad cuts to value-added tax or general state fuel subsidies. The president argued that broad fiscal subsidies would result in either increased budgetary deficits or future tax increases in a period already marked by high French public debt. Instead, the administration is prioritizing a three-tier response combining domestic aid, European market coordination, and international diplomatic efforts to secure alternative oil supply routes from the Middle East.

Diplomatic messaging and public reception

Macron returned to Paris from New York, where his speech at the United Nations General Assembly urged member nations to stand firmly behind international law and resist the rule of raw force. Presidential aides stressed that the head of state needed to explain how geopolitical conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian hybrid operations across Europe, and Middle Eastern hostilities, directly affect purchasing power at home.

Within the presidential majority, advisers defended the broadcast by noting that the executive must account for national security and economic stability during turbulent periods. Political scientist Bruno Cautrès noted that public communication remains an expected presidential function in times of anxiety.

The head of state is in his role by speaking at a moment when the country is very worried.

Macron's address at 20:00 will seek to reassure French households before autumn social mobilisations take hold.