{
  "id": 10911653,
  "title": "No, Macron isn't planning to trigger a war with Russia to stay in power",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/no-macron-isnt-planning-to-trigger-a-war-with-russia-to-stay-in-power",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T09:34:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/30/no-macron-isnt-planning-to-trigger-a-war-with-russia-to-stay-in-power"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent claims have circulated suggesting French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to escalate tensions with Russia to prolong his rule. However, constitutional experts debunk this theory, stating that the president's authority to declare war and postpone elections is strictly regulated by the French Constitution. Article 35 stipulates that the president must consult the government before authorizing armed intervention, and only parliament can grant such authorization. The constitution also dictates that elections must take place between 20 to 35 days before the outgoing president's term ends, with no exceptions for war. While Article 16 does grant exceptional powers to the president in times of grave threat, it requires consultation with key officials and cannot be used to unilaterally stay in power. Despite these constitutional barriers, some social media posts continue to propagate the unfounded narrative, highlighting the need for awareness about institutional checks and the potential for abuse.",
  "summary": "Allegations are circulating online that Macron will put France at war with Russia to postpone elections and stay in power as his second consecutive term comes to an end. However, the country's constitution makes this unfeasible in many ways.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}