Emmanuel Macron is at the center of accusations after outlet “Le Monde” published allegations of racist, and sexist remarks attributed to the French President. The politicians official team has “firmly” denied the claims, but the revelations have ignited outrage across the political sphere, particularly from left-wing leaders.
The accusations include comments reportedly made by Macron in 2023, where he allegedly stated, “The problem with emergency rooms in this country is that they’re filled with Mamadou,” during a discussion with former Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau. Mamadou is a derogatory way to refer to West Africans, it stems from the Muslim name “Mohamed.”
In a separate incident, Macron is said to have used the slur “rabzouz” to refer to French citizens of North African descent during an interview with the far-right magazine Valeurs Actuelles.
The president reportedly joked with the magazine’s director, Geoffroy Lejeune, saying, “It’s my favorite terrain,” when complimented on his familiarity with far-right rhetoric.
The controversy deepened with allegations that Macron referred to two prominent female politicians—Marine Tondelier of the Greens and Lucie Castets, proposed by the Nouveau Front Populaire for Prime Minister—as “cocottes”.
Le Monde further reported that the politician internally nicknamed Matignon “La Cage aux Folles” during Gabriel Attal’s time as Prime Minister and that Macron’s close circle allegedly exchanged homophobic slurs such as “petit pédé” and “grande tarlouze” in a mocking manner.
The politician’s communications director Jonathan Guémas defended these remarks as “15,000th-degree humor,” though the palace denied them entirely.
Left-wing politicians have expressed their outrage. Communist Senator Ian Brossat condemned the remarks as “indubitably racist” and “accusatory,” while La France Insoumise’s Politician , Manuel Bompard, called them an “absolute shame” and demanded accountability.
Deputy of the French National Assembly, François Ruffin criticized Macron’s leadership, accusing him of embodying “racism, homophobia, and sexism” while distancing himself from the realities faced by French citizens.
« C’est rempli de Mamadou », en parlant de l’hôpital.
« La cage aux folles », en parlant de Matignon sous Gabriel Attal.
« Les cocottes » en parlant de femmes politiques.
Ce sont des mots d’Emmanuel Macron, révélés par LeMonde.
Tout y passe : racisme, homophobie, sexisme. Le… pic.twitter.com/CWz3pAmWIt
— François Ruffin (@Francois_Ruffin) December 19, 2024
The allegations have cast a dark shadow over Macron’s presidency, raising questions about the culture within his administration and the standards of conduct expected from the highest office in the Republic.