French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday faced accusations of transphobia after lashing out at the snap election manifesto of a new left-wing coalition, in particular a proposal allowing citizens to change their gender at the town hall.
Issued on: 19/06/2024 -
Emmanuel Macron visits the island of Sein to commemorate the 84th anniversary of General Charles de Gaulle's June 18th appeal to the French people to refuse to accept defeat in World War II. © Christophe Ena, AFP
The emergence of the New Popular Front, which groups left-wingers from Socialists to Communists, has been an unwelcome development for Macron since he called the snap elections in response to his party's defeat by the far right in European polls.
His ruling alliance is forecast by opinion polls to come only third in the legislative elections on June 30 – followed by a second round on July 7 – behind the RN and the new left-wing alliance.
But Macron said Tuesday on a visit to western France that he "had confidence in the French".
"They see well what is on offer. The RN and its allies offer things which may make people happy but in the end we are talking 100 billion (euros) a year."
"And on the other side, with the extreme left it's four times worse – there is no more secularity, they will go back on the immigration law and there are things that are completely farcical like changing your gender at the town hall," he added.
The left-wing coalition's programme includes a proposal allowing the change of civil status in a town hall. LFI lawmaker Andy Kerbrat told gay magazine Tetu this week that changing gender would be possible by filing a request at the town hall.
Macron's remarks appeared to cause disquiet even in the ranks of his own ruling Renaissance party.
"For trans people, for LGBT people, for everyone... we must reject all stigmatisation in political discourse and advance rights," Renaissance MP Clément Beaune, who is openly gay, wrote on X.
"Emmanuel Macron is using transphobia to attack the programmes of his political opponents," said Julia Torlet of NGO SOS Homophobie.
"The strategy is clear: use minorities in the race for power," she added.
Read moreTwelve days to convince: What outcome to French snap election campaign?
'We got Nero'
His comments also sparked an immediate counter-attack from left-wing opponents.
"We were waiting for Jupiter but we got Nero," sniped Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure.
Macron before becoming head of state in 2017 had said France needed a "Jupiterian" presidency in reference to the Roman king of the gods. Nero was one of the Roman emperors most notorious for tyrannical rule.
"How is it possible that this man who was elected and re-elected to confront the extreme right is in reality repeating the discourse of the extreme right?" Faure told RTL.
Communist Party chief Fabien Roussel told Franceinfo that the comments were a sign Macron was "losing his nerve".
"I sense a bit of febrility," he said.
The comments marked a rare intervention by Macron in the campaign, which is being led for the ruling centrist alliance by 35-year-old Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, with multiple voices within Renaissance encouraging the president to keep a lower profile.
(AFP)
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