In France and Morocco, all eyes will be on Qatar this Wednesday evening December 14 for the semi-final of the World Cup in Doha. And the French president will be in the stands. Emmanuel Macron makes the round trip to attend the match of the Blues. An express move that is controversial in the corridors of the Assembly.
First, there are those within the majority who do not see the problem, such as MP Modem Erwan Balanant. ” It is important that the president supports the France teamhe said at the microphone of Pierrick Bonno from the political service of RFI. It is not because we support the France team that there is additional confirmed support for Qatar. »
Same story on the right of the hemicycle. It is too late to ask the question of a boycott, continues Julien Odoul, deputy of the National Assembly: ” The debate on the World Cup in Qatar, you had to have it before ! Now this World Cup is taking place, Emmanuel Macron is the French head of state, the France team is in the semi-finals, there is no debate about him being present. »
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” Emmanuel Macron has variable geometry convictions »
But for the deputies on the left, this back and forth is more problematic. According to the boss of the socialist party Olivier Faure, the president of the Republic should abstain: ” I had understood that the World Cup was not political, but I see that as always, Emmanuel Macron has convictions that are variable in geometry. When we are in the round of 16, we are for human rights, when we are in the semi-finals, human rights are over. »
All the more with the suspicions of corruption hovering over the European Parliament. Qatar can no longer be considered a friendly state, according to environmentalist Jérémie Lordanoff: “ This is not possible, it takes a gesture commensurate with the scandal! Imagine a foreign state that comes to corrupt elected officials, the president would say nothing? »
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Should Emmanuel Macron raise the issue of human rights in one way or another on the sidelines of the match? It is already too late, slice the MP.