Coming to Qatar to support the Blues in the semi-finals of the World Cup, Emmanuel Macron will be back in Doha this Sunday for the final but above all to attend more political meetings with the Emir and other heads of State.
[Mis à jour le 15 décembre 2022 à 11h21] “It’s amazing !” All smiles and relieved after the qualification of the Blues for the final of the 2022 World Cup, Emmanuel Macron assured that he will be back in Qatar this Sunday, December 18 to attend the match of the French team against Albiceleste from Argentina. There is no doubt that the football-loving President of the Republic will follow the meeting carefully, he who likes to analyze the matches, salute French talents and recognizes the quality of Didier Deschamps as coach of the Tricolores. However, unlike his short visit on Wednesday December 14, Emmanuel Macron will be present mainly for political reasons this time. “I will return on Sunday and have more political meetings with other Heads of State and Government on crisis situations,” the President told the press after the France-Morocco match. So forgotten the injunction made in mid-November on the non-politicization of sport? A priori since Wednesday evening Emmanuel Macron held a completely different speech: “Sport is there so that nations which do not know how to talk to each other politically, talk to each other.”
Emmanuel Macron has a meeting with the Emir of Qatar
Despite a presence of barely a few hours in Doha, on Wednesday December 14, Emmanuel Macron, who only came for sporting reasons, had time to see the Emir of Qatar, by his own admission in front of the media. French. But the very brief meeting lasted the time of the greetings and perhaps that of arranging more official appointments on the day of December 18. While France will face Argentina at 4 p.m. for the 2022 World Cup final, before and after the match the French head of state will participate in various diplomatic meetings. Other international political representatives will be present, including, in all likelihood, the Qatari prince.
The human rights defended by Emmanuel Macron in Qatar?
While for months; the World Cup in Qatar and the host country are singled out and accused of violating human rights – with the revelations about the hundreds of workers who died during the construction of the stadiums or the Qatari policy which criminalizes homosexual relations -, Emmanuel Macron was remained silent on this point. The Head of State had even swept aside the controversies by estimating in November that these questions should have been debated in 2010, when the 2022 World Cup was awarded. A position confirmed on the evening of Wednesday, December 14: ” I have always been clear on this subject, there are decisions that are made years before when a Cup is awarded, when it is there sport must unite”. But now that political meetings are scheduled, Emmanuel Macron is timidly paving the way for discussions, recognizing that “there are a lot of things that we must continue to settle”, respect for human rights in mind.
If the French president has never expressed himself personally, the government has already taken a position, as during the visit of the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, to Qatar for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The minister was in charge of lobbying missions and had not missed the opportunity to defend human rights, not by wearing the “One Love” armband at the heart of the controversy but by wearing a sweater with rainbow-colored sleeves, flag of the LGBTQ+ community. Amélie Oudéa-Castera had also “sent a number of messages” – no doubt with the approval of Emmanuel Macron – while recalling that Qatar is “an important partner for France”. At the microphone of RMC and of BFM-TVshe spoke of a meeting with the representative of the International Labor Organization to discuss working conditions in Qatar, a meeting with the president of the LGBT supporters club of the France team and talks with local authorities on the promotion of women’s sport.
In Qatar, the corruption and political controversies mentioned?
Another hot topic: the corruption case that links Qatar to certain members of the European Parliament according to an investigation by the Belgian authorities. The investigations revealed by the press on Sunday December 11 were made public before a pivotal moment in the World Cup organized by Doha. If Emmanuel Macron never alluded to it during his trip on December 14, the situation must change during the political meetings this Sunday. The subject is too serious to stay under the carpet, especially since the case is now closely followed.