A wave of unrest in France this past weekend undermined President Emmanuel Macron's position on the European Council, according to European Politico. “The one who happens to be there is just tying his hands,” said one EU diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. On October 17, people in Paris and other parts of the country took to the streets to protest fuel prices and declines in living standards, with nearly 800,000 people participating in the rallies, according to organizers. The Ministryof Internal Affairs reports 550,000, which is still twice as many as analysts predicted for power structures. Demonstrations in several cities have been accompanied by massacres and clashes with police. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported more than 2,000 detainees throughout the republic, stressing that the authorities will consistently call to account all perpetrators of looting and disorderly conduct.