International leaders’ “unacceptable and stupid” comments about recent French protests have been criticised by French President Emmanuel Macron. The Elysée Palace’s spokesman strongly refuted foreign claims to be facing the infiltration of migrants and religious extremists in Qatar, during a diplomatic visit to the country.

The comments by Macron were seen as a direct reply to U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump recently addressed his supporters, saying, “France is being conquered, looted, destroyed by migrants, communists and jihadists” as the White House is getting ready for the midterm elections in November.

The political debate has been sparked by a weekend of violent disorder in a number of French cities. Peaceful groups of hundreds of thousands of citizens rallied against the cost of living and the public education system, but some groups in isolated areas were involved in serious rioting, looting public property and violently confronting police. The Government of France has consistently denied that there is any evidence to link these violent events with immigration.

Out of the United States, the leaders of other European countries also used the French turmoil to defend their policy agendas. In a post on social media, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, on behalf of the Government of Hungary, defended the strict policy with regard to migration and border crossings applied by his administration, claiming it is due to the chaos in France that it has been made necessary.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot gave a sharp rebuke in response to these international stories. “To stop the dissemination of false information, I offer my support to foreign countries in order to better understand the reality on the ground, declared Barrot on behalf of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. He vigorously called on national and international leaders to remain “moderate” and stop using French internal affairs as a political electoral card.