Macron: What Netanyahu is doing in Gaza is 'unacceptable' and 'shameful'

President Emmanuel Macron takes part in a special program of the French channel TF1 on May 13, 2025. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron gave details regarding his plans for the remaining two years of his last term in office, on Tuesday, May 13, in a special television appearance broadcast on the TF1 channel. Macron addressed the French people, debating high-profile figures and answering questions sent in by ordinary citizens. Those who put their points of view in front of Macron ranged from the head of the hardline CGT union Sophie Binet to Tibo Inshape, a fitness influencer with a large following.

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Macron began by discussing the war in Ukraine and the challenges his country faces on the international stage. Returning from the war-torn country, where he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer − and where European leaders called for a 30-day ceasefire rejected by Russia − Macron defended his record on the Ukrainian issue. "Our desire, if [Russia] confirms its non-compliance [with the 30-day truce agreement], is to impose sanctions [against Russia] again – we've already imposed several dozen – and to impose them in the coming days, in close liaison with the United States of America," Macron said. He added: "We must help Ukraine defend itself but we do not want to unleash a Third World War."

"The war must cease and Ukraine must be in the best possible situation to go into negotiations (...) Even the Ukrainians have the clear-sightedness to say they do not have the capacity to retake everything that has been taken since 2014," he said, referring to Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

On the nuclear issue, Macron said France "will not pay for the security of others." Asked about the possibility of France extending its nuclear deterrence to other European countries amid uncertainty around the US's commitment to the continent, the French president said: "There has always been a European dimension to nuclear deterrence, but we will not elaborate on it to maintain strategic ambiguity." What is put in place "will not detract from what we have for ourselves," Macron said, adding that he would remain the sole decision-maker regarding the launch of a nuclear missile.

Questioned about the extremely alarming humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Macron accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "unacceptable" and "shameful" behavior in blocking aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. "What the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is doing is unacceptable (...) There is no water, no medicine, the wounded cannot get out, the doctors cannot get in. What he is doing is shameful," Macron said. "We need the United States. President [Donald] Trump has the levers. I have had tough words with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I got angry, but they [Israel] don't depend on us, they depend on American weapons," he added.

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Israel's military on Tuesday urged Palestinians residing in multiple areas of northern Gaza to evacuate "immediately" ahead of a planned attack after rocket fire from the Palestinian territory.

In a key announcement, Macron said he favored holding several referendums on the same day for voters to decide on French social and economic reforms. "I want us to organize a series of consultations," he said, adding that the votes would take place on one day in the coming months and would address "major" economic and social reforms. While he would not go into details, he was open to a suggestion by Prime Minister François Bayrou, who has proposed holding a referendum on a plan to reduce France's debt.

Referendums could also address social reforms such as access to social media for under-15s and assisted dying. However, Macron rejected the idea of putting immigration issues to a popular vote despite repeated requests from the right and far right.

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The TV special, called Emmanuel Macron – The Challenges for France and presented by anchor Gilles Bouleau, represented a new format for the president. Macron, who came to power in 2017 promising radical change for France, will step down in 2027 after serving the maximum two terms of office allowed under the Constitution. On occasion over the last year, Macron has appeared as a lame duck especially after his decision to hold snap legislative elections last summer backfired, leaving the far-right as the biggest party in parliament, giving his own party a diminished and minority presence. But the last months have seen a newly energized Macron, boosted by successes on the international stage as he uses his cordial relationship with US President Donald Trump in the search for a just peace for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.