During the closing ceremony of the Paralympics Games at the Stade de France, the audience heavily booed French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron was presented to the public at the event on September 8, together with Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee.
Rather than applauding Macron for the Games when he appeared on big screens at the Stade de France, the crowd started booing and jeering broke out.
Emmanuel Macron hué au Stade de France. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/vB1L0vwLGL
— Paul Larrouturou (@PaulLarrouturou) September 8, 2024
The public response came amid a volatile political environment, following Michel Barnier’s selection as Prime Minister on September 5, causing ructions among the political elite.
Barnier is a member of the centre-right Les Républicains, a party that now only represents a small part of the French electorate.
The New Popular Front, a left-wing alliance, has become the biggest group, while on the Right, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is now the biggest single party following the latest parliament elections in July.
The New Popular Front has already rejected the appointment of Barnier. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a leading figurehead of the alliance, said the “election had been stolen”, claiming Macron refused to listen to his group’s demands and had dismissed their left-wing candidate.
Given the distribution of seats in parliament, Barnier’s appointment hinges on the approval of Le Pen and her party.
“If, in the coming weeks, the French are once again forgotten or mistreated, we will not hesitate to censure the government,” she said, adding that she expected France to hold new legislative elections “within a year”.
Il y a des traditions qui ne se changent pas dans la vie.
Par exemple, Macron qui se fait huée, comme d’habitude, par quasiment tout le stade de France a la cérémonie de clôture des Jeux Paralympiques.
Magnifique ! 💥🥳 pic.twitter.com/OWhzkn1NQg
— Cory Le Guen ⏚ (@coryleguen) September 8, 2024
