Macron has one more chance to save the country or ‘it’s lost for France,’ business owner warns

Michèle Teboul, a business owner whose family lost five stores to looters last week, has issued a stark warning to President Emmanuel Macron, saying that next Saturday is his final chance to save the country, or 'it's lost for France.'

Teboul, who is also a former director of CRIF, the umbrella organization representing French Jewish institutions, said that the coming Saturday could be a watershed moment for the country.

She directly addressed both Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Macron, demanding that they do what is necessary to protect the population, or face the consequences.

Destroyed livelihoods

Teboul’s family retail operations span Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Montpellier, but the violence last week left five of their most important stores completely destroyed.

She described the damage in harrowing detail, saying that attackers used axes to break through boarding, leaving her sons to face a difficult recovery.

The family lost not only merchandise but also their sense of security, with Teboul stating that they now need to pay for additional protection while trying to meet insurers' security requirements.

She estimated that it would take at least two months to repair and secure the stores to the required standards, adding that the winter season is effectively dead for her business.

Police overwhelmed

Teboul accused authorities of failing to provide enough police to protect businesses, saying officers were overwhelmed as large crowds descended on city centers, particularly in Marseille and Lyon.

She cited an estimate she had heard of around 30,000 young people arriving in central Marseille, a figure that Fox News Digital could not independently verify.

The business owner said that authorities had mistaken the threat for an ordinary demonstration and that they could have prevented the violence.

She distinguished between students protesting over legitimate grievances and those who used the demonstrations as cover to steal, noting that there were 'two events on Saturday.'

Growing insecurity

The concern extends beyond damaged storefronts, as Teboul, who is Jewish, warned that many Jews are considering leaving France.

She said that further disorder could deepen that uncertainty if things do not get better, emphasizing that the specific problem of last Saturday was not a problem of Jews but a national one.

Teboul noted that Jewish schools, synagogues, and community businesses have dedicated security arrangements, but the general population does not feel secure.

She also warned that another failure to protect the population could have serious consequences for the country's leadership, saying, 'The government may fall down.'