“Macron transformed the post-match into a kind of unprecedented political meeting”

A few days before the opening of the World Cup in Qatar, Emmanuel Macron considered that it was not necessary “politicizing sport”. A month later, the progress of the World Cup final between France and Argentina gave him the opportunity to be denied by the image. Indeed, the hundreds of millions of viewers around the world (certainly more than a billion) were able to see a president overwhelmed by emotion during the match and struggling on the lawn then on the podium, during the awards ceremony. .

A president, like any citizen, has the right to appreciate this sport and to be passionate about a final rich in twists and turns. But when we see him on the lawn affectionately embracing one of the best players in the world, displaying his closeness to the coach and having a chat in the locker room, it is indeed a political scene that we are witnessing. To make public a place, the changing rooms, reserved for the intimacy of the players constitutes in itself a political act. Social networks made no mistake about it by making a video viral, of which it would be interesting to know the author.

Sport, unfailingly political

Let’s reassure our president, sport has been unfailingly political since the end of the 19th century. It is so because the successive leaders have chosen to associate it with values ​​that everyone can adhere to, considered to be positive. Self-sacrifice, overcoming or the sanctification of merit are some of them regularly reactivated to give meaning to sport and consider that it is the vector of an exemplary social model. It does not matter if the sport is also something else, the goalkeeper of the Argentina team having reminded us of it until the crude caricature.

Despite the defeat, the President of the French Republic took the opportunity to highlight the unfailing commitment of our players who honored the national colors. Infantrymen of modern times, they fell on the sports field with honors and the spirit of sacrifice! The army chief seized the opportunity to salute his troops, to insist on the pride that must animate them and to remobilize them for future battles. The green rectangle was the field of expression of a striking political message. Going from player to player, it was about showing the attention of a president, often portrayed far from reality, for the sadness displayed on the faces of the protagonists. Certainly the country had been beaten, its players were in tears, but it was necessary to ensure that unity was maintained and that pride was intact.

political meeting

The president has therefore become the father of the nation in the service of his communication. The opportunity was too good, too rare and too big to pass up. His attitude left no doubt. The affection, the physical closeness and the remobilization in the locker room, everything was intended to refocus attention on the strong and active presidential figure in a moment of turmoil. The allegory was obvious: taking care of the representatives of the nation as he thinks he should do of the citizens, his activity appeared tenfold. Obvious but probably a little crude, and above all encountering unexpected reactions.

By wanting to be too close to the players… The image underlined that they tasted little of the presidential lessons, too busy to overcome their disappointment drowned in considerable physical and mental fatigue. Some may have grasped the instrumentalization in which they were invited to participate. The most attentive have seen that some have turned away from it. But most lent their image, perhaps unwittingly, to the political design. Without speech but thanks to the power of the image, this moment turned into a kind of unprecedented political meeting.

A twelfth player… in full contradiction

The post-match was therefore also played on the lawn but with a twelfth player not registered on the score sheet. If the third star had flown away, it was its star that had to be gilded again. The contradiction of the presidential word in the space of a month appeared on our screens for the worse. It would have been to the honor of Emmanuel Macron that it be for the best. Indeed, this very special moment after the final of a World Cup like no other could have been an opportunity to show support for the workers who sacrificed themselves to build grandiose stadiums, which one wonders moreover what they will be used for in the coming months.

To show our country’s attachment to the rights of men and women, of everyone. To distance oneself from authorities dressing the captain of the victorious team in a traditional outfit to be associated with an image that will go around the world and which will go down in history. In short, to assume the political dimension of sport in general and of this final in particular. Not to put it at the service of a person, whether presidential or religious, but of ideals that should not remain just words.