Visit of Eric Zemmour to soldiers: the update of the Ministry of the Armed Forces

“These rules have a simple objective: to avoid any risk of instrumentalisation of the French armed forces”. Through the voice of its spokesperson, the Ministry of the Armed Forces was annoyed on Thursday by Eric Zemmour’s visit to Abidjan. The far-right presidential candidate has indeed visited the military in Côte d’Ivoire, without maintaining the usual duty of reserve for this kind of trip.

Eric Zemmour arrived in Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday evening, without any information on his program having been revealed. A photo of him waiting for his luggage on his arrival at Abidjan airport was widely relayed on social networks on Thursday. In addition to a meeting with twenty French, the candidate went to see the soldiers.

“He made a visit this morning around 10:00 am which continued until the beginning of the afternoon”, at the camp of French forces in Côte d’Ivoire, a diplomatic source told AFP. “It’s a visit just like all presidential candidates, who have the right to visit an army unit. It turns out that he chose the French forces in Côte d’Ivoire“, specified a source at the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Problem, according to the ministry: the candidate posted on his Twitter account several photos of this visit to the military. An advertisement that annoyed the spokesperson Hervé Grandjean. “The rules are the same for everyone: discretion and sobriety”, he tweeted, recalling that recently several candidates had visited military rights-of-way.

Contacted by LCI, a government source added: “For the Presidential, any declared candidate can visit the armies. It is just that the army, it is particular. And when there is no more neutrality of the armies, that poses a democratic problem … be completely waterproof. (…) There is a difference between a discreet photo where you don’t see much … and a series of tweet where you see him with equipment and haranguing the men. spirit, the code of conduct was not respected. “

“This moral commitment that we ask of the presidential candidates was not kept today by a candidate. We regret it. These rules have a simple objective: to avoid any risk of instrumentalisation of the French armed forces“, he continued. Earlier in the day, Eric Zemmour had greeted, in a message on Twitter, the”bravery” and the “devotion“of the armed forces.

Abidjan is home to the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (43rd BIMa), as part of a defense agreement between France and Côte d’Ivoire. The battalion provides, among other things, logistical support to the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane deployed in the Sahel.