He speaks out on two hot topics. French President Emmanuel Macron considered that there could “not be the Russian flag at the Paris Olympic Games, Russia having “no place at a time when it committed war crimes”, in a daily interview The Team published Wednesday evening,
In the same interview, Emmanuel Macron believes two days before the start of the Rugby World Cup for the Blues that it would be “preferable” that the player Bastien Chalureau no longer plays for the France team if his conviction for violence against racist character were confirmed on appeal.
Asked about the possible presence of Russian athletes in an individual capacity at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Head of State replied: “I hope that this will be a decision in the conscience of the Olympic world (…) it is not not the host State which must decide what the IOC must do (…) I have complete confidence in Thomas Bach”, the President of the International Olympic Committee.
“What place should be given to these Russian athletes? »
President Macron also wanted “Ukrainians to be associated with this reflection”. “Obviously, there can’t be the Russian flag at the Paris Games, I think there’s a consensus,” he said in this interview with the sports newspaper, “because Russia as a country has no place in a time when she committed war crimes, when she deported 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. »
“Cohesion of the nation” on Chalureau
Returning to the Chalureau affair, which made the news for the France team this week, Macron specifies: “If there are convictions on serious, established facts, which affect the cohesion of the nation, yes, it would be preferable”, that the second row no longer wears the jersey of the France team.
Chalureau, called on Friday to make up for Paul Willemse’s absence due to injury, was sentenced in 2020 by the Toulouse Criminal Court to a six-month suspended prison sentence for “acts of violence with the circumstance that these were committed due to race or ethnicity of the victim”. He appealed against this judgment. “Justice must be able to pronounce itself in the time that is its own, in complete serenity. The presumption of innocence and the right of appeal exist,” said Emmanuel Macron.
According to the President of the Republic, the choice of the XV of France coach Fabien Galthié, to summon Bastien Chalureau, is “necessarily the right one for the team”. “Fabien knows what he (Chalureau) can bring to the fifteen of France, his chemistry with the other players”, added Emmanuel Macron.
Les Bleus, who are among the favorites at the World Cup organized on their soil, begin the competition on Friday at the Stade de France against New Zealand, three-time world champion (1987, 2011, 2015).