Macron returns to Qatar for love of sport, despite criticism

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron is about to jet off to Qatar for the second time in per week, regardless of broad issues concerning the emirate’s human rights and environmental document. Why? As a result of France is within the World Cup ultimate, and Macron actually is an enormous soccer fan — in addition to a outstanding advocate of the longstanding partnership between the 2 international locations.

A video broadcast after France’s victory over Morocco within the semifinal confirmed an enthusiastic Macron mingling with French gamers within the dressing room on Wednesday night on the Doha stadium, applauding to the sound of the “Free of need” music hit that has develop into the group’s victory hymn.

The World Cup in Qatar has sparked a number of controversies — from the dwelling situations of migrant staff to the influence on the surroundings of air-conditioned stadiums and the place of LGBTQ individuals, in addition to ladies and minorities. Many activists, particularly in Europe, had urged a boycott of the event.

Some on social media additionally famous that the six-hour flight from Paris to Doha is energy-consuming and never climate-friendly — in obvious contradiction with Macron’s earlier commitments.

At a European summit in Brussels on Thursday, Macron stated he absolutely stands by his choice. “I’m backing the France group and I feel that the French are too,” he stated.

He referred to the greater than 20 million viewers who watched the semifinal on French TF1 tv, a document excessive for a World Cup recreation since 2006. “Figures are there. We love our nationwide group, we’re pleased with it, we would like it to win,” Macron stated.

A 44-year-old sport lover, Macron performed soccer with the group of France’s elite administration faculty, the ENA, within the 2000s. He’s a supporter of the membership of Marseille, in southern France, and performed final yr in a charity soccer match — a primary for a French president in workplace — throughout which he scored from a penalty kick.

Macron was additionally seen boxing throughout a marketing campaign occasion within the northern suburbs of Paris in April this yr, simply earlier than being reelected for a second time period — a sport he’s stated to observe with a few of the officers accountable for his safety.

The French president had introduced prematurely that he would attend the semifinal and ultimate if France certified — similar to he did through the earlier World Cup gained by the French in Russia in 2018.

In response to criticism, he stated final month that “ sports activities shouldn’t be politicized. ”

Paris and another French massive cities have determined to not broadcast World Cup matches on big screens in public fan zones amid issues about Qatar’s human rights document.

Macron, who stated he’ll meet Sunday with Qatari officers, seems to be sticking to his conventional strategy to diplomacy that includes talking about tough points with different world leaders “each time it is wanted,” based on the French presidency.

He is without doubt one of the only a few world leaders to have maintained an open line with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin because the conflict in Ukraine began.

The France-Qatar relationship, which dates again to the emirate’s independence within the Seventies, features a broad vary of political, financial and safety agreements that includes oil contracts, arms gross sales and cultural exchanges. Main French soccer membership Paris Saint-Germain has been owned by Qatar Sports activities Investments for greater than 11 years.

When Macron visited Qatar a yr in the past, he revealed a joint assertion with the nation’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Each leaders vowed to boost financial cooperation and “work collectively to face international challenges together with regional safety, terrorism, local weather change and power transition.”

Civil marketing campaign group Avaaz revealed Wednesday an advert in two French newspapers to denounce Macron’s journey to Qatar, saying “Gamers do not want you on the World Cup. The planet does.”

“We thought that it was a surprising failure of management that Emmanuel Macron would go watch soccer” as a substitute of attending an ongoing U.N. biodiversity convention in Canada, Avaaz marketing campaign director Oscar Soria stated on Twitter.

Some French leftist politicians have additionally criticized Macron’s journeys to the emirate.

A Inexperienced European Parliament lawmaker, Yannick Jadot, stated this week that going to Qatar is a “political mistake” particularly within the context of the corruption scandal that led the European Union’s parliament to droop work on all information involving Qatar.

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AP World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports