Senior Russian lawmaker claims Macron's political monopoly causing France to self-destruct

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Actions of French President Emmanuel Macron triggered processes of self-destruction in a once strong and stable state, and France is now “on the verge of a civil war,” senior Russian lawmaker Vyacheslav Volodin claimed on Wednesday.

In a statement on Telegram, Chairman of the State Duma, or lower chamber of parliament, Volodin said Macron is now trying to redirect French citizens' attention away from “his mistakes in domestic policy” and toward international affairs.

"Trust in Macron is eroding. Ratings have dropped to the lowest point. And if presidential elections were held right now, (National Rally party leader) Marine Le Pen would win," he predicted.

According to Volodin, France is turning out to be "on the verge of a civil war," and the reason for the instability is the president's current policy of political monopoly and reducing the role of trade unions in recent years, which have traditionally played a significant role in the country.

Volodin also alleged that Macron is consistently weakening the political party system, having "squeezed out" Gaulists and socialists from the political arena.

"All of this resulted in the problems being discussed on the street rather than in parliament. People began to defend their own interests in very different ways when they did not see their representatives in power. In this configuration, the situation will only get worse," he claimed.

Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, was shot at point-blank range by a police officer last week in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

Protests have since swept France after the fatal shooting of the teenager during a traffic check.

The officer is facing a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in pre-trial detention.