Kylian Mbappe voices need for French youth against 'extremists'
Kylian Mbappe, on the eve of his opening game of Euro 2024, spoke on the ongoing drama regarding politics in France. A rare snap vote is happening on July 7 where Emmanuel Macron is hoping for a change in the country’s parliament. A June vote for European parliament meant his centralist party lost considerably to the ultranationalist National Rally party. Calling snap elections dissolves the national parliament for now. It brings a wave of uncertainty to French politics if Macron’s Renaissance party fails to win a majority of parliamentary seats.
Kylian Mbappe has been in close communication with Macron throughout his young playing career. Much of that centers around where the French superstar plays. For example, Macron previously gave Mbappe advice on whether he should stay with PSG in 2022. As the star of French soccer, Mbappe carries the weight and focus of much of the French population.
That is why his comments regarding the political situation are so prevalent. Mbappe understands the severity of the upcoming July elections in France. He said the youth will play a major role in countering the growing role of what he called ‘extremists’ in France.
“We are in a crucial moment in the history of the country,” Mbappe said in a press conference on Sunday. “You have to know how to sort things out and see your priorities. We are citizens above all, we must not be disconnected from the world. We are in an unprecedented situation. I want to address all the French people and the young generation in particular. We see that the extremes are at the gates of power. We have the possibility to change everything.”
Kylian Mbappe is not the first athletic star to discuss politics in France
Mbappe’s comments came on the back of his France teammate Marcus Thuram speaking against the National Rally Party in France. Citing criticisms that the National Rally party is ultranationalist and anti-immigration, Thuram said all of France needs to battle.
“We all need to fight daily so that this doesn’t happen and that the National Rally does not succeed,” Thuram said.
France national team players are not new to making waves in the political sector. Going back multiple decades, Thuram’s World Cup-winning father Lilian Thuram spoke against the father of the current National Rally leader. Two years before that in 1996, then-captain of the France national team Didier Deschamps said Jean-Marie Le Pen talks nonsense. Regarding the current state of affairs, Deschamps, the current head coach of the national team, refused to comment.
Focus for players remains on the Euros
Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Deschamps and the rest of the France camp have personally bigger goals over the next month while French politics flirts with disarray. On Monday, Les Bleus open their Euro 2024 campaign in Germany against Austria. As the runner-up in the 2022 World Cup, France is one of the favorites to win the European Championship. French soccer fans will hope Mbappe’s focus can remain on the competition, which France has not won since 2000.
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