Gauthier Delomez with AFP / Photo credits: Bertrand GUAY / AFP
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8:10 p.m., November 15, 2023
Having barely arrived in Switzerland this Wednesday for a two-day trip, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at a press conference on subjects that are in the news, from the aftermath of the conflict between Hamas and Israel to the march against anti-Semitism in Paris, including his proposal to meet with his opponents on Friday in Saint-Denis. Europe 1 lists its main statements.
Information to remember:
– Macron condemns “with the greatest firmness” the bombing of civilian infrastructure
– The head of state denounces a “debate that had no place” on his absence from the march against anti-Semitism
– The absence of opponents at the Saint-Denis meeting is a “major political mistake”, believes the French president
Israel-Hamas: Macron condemns “with the greatest firmness” the bombing of civilian infrastructure
French President Emmanuel Macron “condemned with the greatest firmness” on Wednesday the bombing of civilian infrastructure in the war between Israel and Hamas, during a press conference in Bern. “We condemn in the strongest terms all bombings of civilians, particularly of civilian infrastructure which must be protected under our international law and humanitarian law,” the president said on the first day of his state visit to Swiss.
The head of state also affirmed on Wednesday that he was defending a “balanced” position which had “never varied”, after being criticized for a lack of clarity on the conflict. “We fully recognize Israel’s right to defend itself and fight terrorism, but because Israel is a democracy (…) this right to defend itself must be within the framework of international law humanitarian and respecting the rules of war (…). We have never varied,” he declared.
March against anti-Semitism: Macron denounces a “debate that had no place” on his absence
Emmanuel Macron estimated on Wednesday that the “debate” around his absence from the march against anti-Semitism “had no reason to exist”, his “role” being in particular to “continue to preserve in this period the unity of the country”. Sunday’s march, “I share the expectations. But my role is not to take a march. My role is to work to help the release of our hostages”, continued the head of state. “And my role is to continue to preserve in this period, the unity of the country and to never put each other back to back,” he insisted.
Oise: the president “condemns with the greatest force” the degradation of Jewish steles
Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he “condemns with the greatest force” the degradation of ten Jewish steles in a German military cemetery from the First World War in Oise, in a context of increasing anti-Semitic acts. “After what happened this afternoon, I can only obviously condemn with the greatest force the fact that the ten Jewish steles have been desecrated,” declared the head of state, recalling his “commitment personnel” to “fight implacably and tirelessly against all forms of anti-Semitism”.
The absence of opponents at the Saint-Denis meeting is a “major political mistake”
Emmanuel Macron denounced Wednesday in Berne “the major political error” of the party leaders of LR and the PS who declined his invitation to the new “Saint-Denis meetings” of November 17. “I think it is a major political fault on the part of these leaders (…) The absence from a working meeting on constitutional reforms is absolutely unworthy” on their part, declared the French president on the first day of his state visit to Switzerland. “No pretext justifies it and especially not using the current geopolitical context,” said the Head of State, referring to the conflict in the Middle East.