The smell of tear gas hangs over Biarritz. French police are on the front foot. Water cannon deployed. Charging protesters. This is the pre-G7 ritual, but the security services in London are watching closely.
The violence is a problem for Macron. His government wanted a clean summit. Polished. Instead, they have running battles on the streets. Black bloc anarchists mixing with yellow vests. A volatile cocktail.
For Number 10, the concern is contagion. Far-left agitators are a transnational network. British intelligence is tracking known faces who have crossed the Channel to join the fray. They will be flagged if they try to return. Home Office sources say the threat level for domestic far-left extremism is being reviewed. Privately, they admit it is higher than they let on.
The polling impact is marginal. The general public does not care about anarchists. They care about traffic disruptions and holiday photos. But the political class is jittery. A bad summit, marred by violence, weakens Macron. And a weak Macron is bad for the European project.
Inside the cabinet, there is a split. The hardliners want a clampdown. Retribution. The pragmatists argue that overreaction plays into the hands of the rioters. Boris Johnson is watching. He knows the optics. He will want to avoid a repeat in the UK.
The game is on. The cameras are rolling. And the men in suits are taking notes.
