Interviewed as part of the release of his book “Upheavals”, François Hollande expressed the difficulty of exercising power, especially when criticism comes from his camp.
In the context of an interview granted to the online media “Télépro”, the former President of the Republic François Hollande returned to his term of office and in particular to the criticisms he had been able to receive at that time. And if he conceives the caricature coming from his political opponents, the most difficult thing to live with has come from “his own friends”.
“When you put the leader in difficulty, you weaken yourself”
“Caricature, nicknames, it’s all part of political life and what is freedom of expression”began by explaining Francois Hollande. “What I could suffer from was that it came from my own friends. Because it’s absurd, when you put the leader, the leader of a party, or a fortiori the head of state in difficulty, you weaken yourself. he estimated. For him, it is “an absurd slingshot”, especially when it is used by politicians. “This kind of devaluation of politics already comes from what you have described, the social networks, the caricatures that come out in the press, the people pressadded the former head of state, when it is also politicians who use them to their detriment, I found it to be what is called ‘an absurd slingshot'”.
Francois Hollande understood this well, to be President of the Republic “You need a shell, but it mustn’t stop you from walking, from running, from moving forward, otherwise you’re completely frozen” he explained. To the remark of the journalist, on the number of blows received in this function, husband of Julie Gayet replied that “No one is forcing you to do politics, let alone to be a candidate for the presidency of the Republic. I was not taken by force, I went there of my own free will” he concluded.
From “normal president” to “normal life”
Also asked about his return to “normal life” at the end of his term, Francois Hollande once again showed great transparency in its response. He who had wished to be a “normal president” breaking with his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy inevitably had to face an immense silence when he left the Elysée. “It’s never easy to move at a high pace of activities to the blank pages of a diary to fill, he explained. But this is a breakup I was prepared for. We find ourselves alone but with great freedom.”
Now that he is no longer in power or in political responsibility, François Hollande explained that he could come and go, although not really incognito “but it’s always nice when people come up to say hello and take a selfie with you. People who don’t like me don’t ask me anything and that’s no problem.” he estimated without departing from his humor, he who saw in this incessant rain during his public appearances “a symbol: it showed that whatever happened I was always there.”