Jacques Serais, special envoy to the Île de Sein (Finistère)
Traveling to the island of Sein, where General de Gaulle’s appeal on June 18, 1940 was massively followed, Emmanuel Macron once again expressed his refusal to embody “the spirit of defeat”. A clear allusion to the legislative campaign for which the presidential camp is not favored by the forecasts.
In August 1946, General de Gaulle went to the island of Sein, off the coast of Finistère, to award the entire island with the Cross of Liberation. This moment in the history of France, six years after the mobilization of these resistance fighters to the general’s call, remains in people’s minds as the one where those who refused pessimism and defeatism rose up. It is undoubtedly precisely for this reason that Emmanuel Macron chose this place this Tuesday.
After arriving an hour late, the head of state has just finished his speech in tribute to the 128 Sénans, the inhabitants of the island who, in 1940, joined De Gaulle’s appeal to England. “Resist defeat as we resist storms,” said the head of state.
President resistant to extremes
“This is an opportunity to exalt the French spirit of resistance in the face of the spirit of defeat,” deciphers those around him. The spirit of defeat is precisely what the president is fighting in this legislative campaign. An expression that he had already used last week during his press conference.
Even if this trip had been planned for a long time, Emmanuel Macron has understood the importance of this symbol and is determined to demonstrate that he is the president resistant to extremes. And wants to be convinced that his call will also be heard.