Macron: “There cannot be the Russian flag at the Paris Games”

September 7, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron felt that there could “not be the Russian flag at the Paris Olympic Games, as Russia had “no place at a time when it committed war crimes”, in a interview with the daily L’Equipe published Wednesday evening.

In the same interview, Mr. Macron believes that it would be “preferable” for rugby player Bastien Chalureau to no longer play for the French team if his conviction for racist violence were confirmed on appeal.

Asked about the possible presence of individual Russian athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Head of State replied: “I hope it will be a decision in the conscience of the Olympic world (…) this is not It is not the host state that should decide what the IOC should do (…) I have complete confidence in Thomas Bach”, the president of the International Olympic Committee.

President Macron also wanted “Ukrainians to be associated with this reflection”.

“Obviously, there cannot be the Russian flag at the Paris Games, I think there is 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 do you tell 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.”

Returning to the Chalureau affair, which made the news for the France team this week, Mr. Macron clarified: “If there are convictions on serious, established facts which affect the cohesion of the nation, yes, it would be preferable”, that the second line no longer wears the jersey of the France team.

Chalureau, called on Friday to compensate for the absence due to injury of Paul Willemse, was sentenced in 2020 by the Toulouse criminal court to six months in prison suspended for “acts of violence with the circumstance that the latter were committed due to race or ethnicity of the victim”. He appealed against this judgment.

“Justice must be able to decide 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 coach of the XV of France 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.

The Blues, 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, triple world champion (1987, 2011, 2015).