Emmanuel Macron’s Stance on Russian Athletes and the Olympics: The Controversy and Future Decision-Making

2023-09-06 21:37:00

By Le Figaro with AFP

Posted yesterday at 23:37, Updated yesterday at 23:51

Emmanuel Macron was traveling to a college in Orthez this Wednesday. POOL / REUTERS

In a long interview granted to L’Équipe, the Head of State returned to the start of the Rugby World Cup but also the extra-sporting affairs that make the news.

President Emmanuel Macron felt that he might not “not have the Russian flag at the Games» Paris Olympics, Russia having «out of place at a time when she is committing war crimes“, in a daily interview The Team published Wednesday evening.

Asked regarding the possible presence of individual Russian athletes, the Head of State replied: “I would like this to be a decision in the conscience of the Olympic world (…) it is not the host State that should decide what the IOC should do (…) I have total confidence in Thomas Bach», the president of the International Olympic Committee. President Macron also wished that “the Ukrainians are associated with this reflection».

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“Russia as a country has no place”

«Obviously, there cannot be the Russian flag at the Paris Games, I think there is a consensus“, he says in this interview with the sports newspaper, “because Russia as a country has no place at a time when it has committed war crimes, when it deports children».

«The real question that the Olympic world will have to decide is what place to give to these Russian athletes who sometimes have prepared for a lifetime, and can also be the victims of this regime“, he continues. But how to differentiate between Russian athletes accomplices and victims of the regime? “This is the real question and therefore this is where the Olympic world has, in conscience, its opinion to give and guarantees to specify.», Explains the Head of State: «And it must be understood by the Ukrainians (…) This is the balancing act that we will have to carry out.»

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A pride for Macron to welcome the world

During this interview, Emmanuel Macron was very enthusiastic regarding the idea of ​​​​organizing the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games. The resident of the Elysée hopes to see France emerge from these events.

«We welcome the world, and it is already an immense French pridepromises the head of state. We have won the right to organize great events. For the Rugby World Cup, we are going to have 600,000 foreign visitors, close to a billion viewers worldwide. We are going to introduce our landscapes, our ability to receive people, our organization, our third half (smiles) with gastronomy and the French way of life.»

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As long as justice is in progress, Macron does not rule on the Chalureau case

In the preamble to the Rugby World Cup, Emmanuel Macron also returned to the controversy around Bastien Chalureau. The second line of the XV of France was condemned for racist aggression in November 2020. If he recognized the acts of violence, he always denied the racist character.

«It is Fabien Galthié who is in charge of the sporting choice, so his choice is necessarily the right one for the team, insists the president who maintains the comments he made on Monday during his meeting with the Blues. Fabien knows what he (Chalureau) can bring to the fifteen of France, his chemistry with the other players. Even more from where I am, I will not comment on a current case. Justice must be able to pronounce itself in the time that is its own, in all serenity. The presumption of innocence and the right of appeal exist. They are constitutionally guaranteed for all citizens. I don’t do justice fiction. But if there are convictions on serious, established facts, which affect the cohesion of the nation, yes, it would be preferable.»

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