Former French President François Hollande has pointed the finger at his successor, Emmanuel Macron, for the current wave of violent protests that have engulfed France. The country has been rocked by weeks of unrest as citizens take to the streets to protest against a range of issues from rising fuel prices to stagnant wages.
In an interview with a local news outlet, Hollande said that "the situation we find ourselves in today is entirely due to Macron's policies." He went on to criticize Macron's decision-making style and accused him of being out of touch with ordinary people.
Hollande's comments come as France braces itself for another weekend of protests - dubbed 'Act IV' by demonstrators - which are expected to be even more intense than those seen over the previous three weekends. Riot police have been deployed across Paris and other major cities in an effort to prevent further violence.
The French government has already made several concessions aimed at quelling protesters' anger including scrapping plans for a fuel tax hike and announcing an increase in the minimum wage. However, these measures seem unlikely to satisfy many demonstrators who view them as too little too late.
Meanwhile, Macron continues to defend his policies while calling for calm and dialogue. In a recent address, he acknowledged that "there is legitimate anger" but also warned against violence saying it would only lead "to more chaos."
It remains unclear how long this unrest will last or what its ultimate impact will be on French politics. But one thing is clear: former president Hollande believes that much of the blame lies squarely with Emmanuel Macron.