«International embarrassment»
The French opposition has criticized as «inappropriate» and an «international embarrassment» the gestures of support and consolation by French President Emmanuel Macron, who went down to the field right after the end of the World Cup final in Qatar to embrace the star player of the French national team, Kylian Mbappé. SOURCE: (EUROPA PRESS)
Obono compares Macron to ‘The Office’ character
France Insoumise deputy Danièle Obono highlighted Mbappé’s «world class» and compared Macron to Michael Scott, the protagonist of the series ‘The Office’, in which Steve Carrell plays an office boss with an outsized ego who desperately seeks the love and recognition of his subordinates.
Faure called it «inappropriate and uncomfortable»
«International shame,» posted on Twitter on Sunday by La France Insoumise MP Danièle Obono, while Socialist leader Olivier Faure called it «inappropriate and uncomfortable,» as echoed by the French press on Monday.
Mbappé’s discomfort
The striker himself showed his discomfort and tried to walk away when the French president whispered a few words in his ear, hugged his head and took his arm on the lawn of the Lusail Stadium, the scene of the final that Argentina had just beaten France on penalties. He later hugged Mbappé again during the trophy ceremony.
Bilongo: «Macron, world champion of shame»
In the opinion of deputy Carlos Martens Bilongo «in the photo there are two number 10s». «Kylian Mbappé, number 10 and three goals in the final. Emmanuel Macron, 10 uses of (Article) 49.3 in the National Assembly» to approve public budgets without a parliamentary vote, the last one last Thursday. «Emmanuel Macron, world champion of shame,» noted environmentalist Benjamin Lucas on Twitter.
Manon Aubry made reference to the pension reform
«Don’t worry, Kylian. You can work until you’re 65 and win many more World Cups,» posted MEP Manon Aubry in reference to the impending pension reform.
Sébastien Chenu: «It was a bit scary»
The deputy of the far-right National Rally party Sébastien Chenu has also criticized Macron’s intervention. «It was a bit frightening to see him yesterday grabbing Mbappé like a hook,» Chenu said Monday on LCI television.
Call to «not politicize sport»
Macron himself had called for «not politicizing sport» in response to the controversy over protests about the questionable human rights record of the host country, Qatar. The French press has recalled that Jacques Chirac achieved a 20-point increase in popularity after the first victory of the ‘Bleus’ in a World Cup in 1998.
