One week after French President Emmanuel Macron's surprising decision to dissolve the National Assembly, France officially begins its campaign for early legislative elections today, Monday, based on the final lists of candidates that parties and hastily formed alliances have arrived at. While many observers fear the rise of the far-right, French football star and team captain Kylian Mbappé dropped a significant bombshell.
During a press conference last night, Sunday, he clearly stated his position regarding the upcoming pivotal elections in the country, saying he is "against extremism and divisive ideas." However, the French football star, who recently moved to Real Madrid after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended, did not explicitly support one side over another before the elections set for the first round on June 30 and the second round on July 7. Still, his words were interpreted by some as being against the "far-right parties."
The 25-year-old Mbappé stated during a press conference held in Düsseldorf, where France will play its opening match in the European Cup against Austria today, "I think this is a critical moment in our country's history; we are in an unprecedented situation." He added, "The European Cup is extremely important in our journey, but we are citizens first and foremost, and I don't think we can separate ourselves from the world around us. Today, we can all see extremists very close to gaining power, and we have the chance to choose the future of our country."
He urged all young people to go out and vote, "to truly understand the importance of the situation," saying that "the country needs to align with the values of diversity and tolerance." He expressed hope that the French people would make the right decision.
Additionally, the 2018 World Cup champion and top scorer of the 2022 World Cup addressed the youth who look up to him, emphasizing that their voice makes a difference and wishing they wouldn't think otherwise. He said, "I want to be proud to wear my country's jersey on July 7. I don’t want to represent a country that doesn’t align with my values and our values." The player, born to a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother, added, "We should not hide. Some say that football and politics shouldn't be mixed, but when you are in such circumstances, it is extremely important, more important than tomorrow's match," referring to the game between France and Austria today.
These statements come at a critical time for France, amid the rise of the right. At least 250,000 people demonstrated on Saturday against far-right parties, which now appear to hold a strong position as the election date approaches. Unions, associations, and left-wing parties had called for a "popular mobilization" to avert the expected new victory of the National Rally party in the legislative elections following its success last Sunday in the European parliamentary election, a development that prompted the president to dissolve the National Assembly.
