France: Emmanuel Macron's message to the youth

Emmanuel Macron gave an interview of more than two hours to the online media "Brut" (illustrative image).

Ludovic MARIN POOL / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

9 min

Discrimination, ecology, police violence, Covid ... By granting an interview to the media "Brut", which is a hit with those under 25, Emmanuel Macron tried to reconnect with French youth who are asking questions.

Publicity

Read more

 I'm not going to tell you it's great. 

Speaking at the height of his audience by choosing

Brut, 

Emmanuel Macron, the youngest president in the history of France - "

 Even at 40, we sometimes also want to breathe 

" - comes to speak to a generation he considers bruised.

An echo of his famous " 

it's hard to be 20 years old in 2020

 ".

It is the generation which was born with the terrorism of the towers, which has taken one of the greatest economic and financial crises to date, which had to know the awareness of the climate drama, the greatest pandemic. that we have had in recent decades, there is still plenty to ask questions. 

"

Isolation due to Covid, economic, social crisis, police violence, secularism ... Emmanuel Macron mainly does education.

A handful of announcements: the new exceptional aid for young people and the establishment of a platform to report discrimination.

“ 

It is true that today when you have a skin color that is not white, you are much more controlled. 

"Like a message to a part of the youth of France:"

 Explain to all these young people who are looking for themselves, to say

"the Republic first recognizes you. You are children of this Republic".

While acknowledging that France has not always known how to speak to this youth.

♦ Police officers reject the term "police violence"

During the interview with

Brut

 Emmanuel Macron returned to the various cases of police violence in recent weeks.

If the President of the Republic admitted that there was indeed "police violence", he did however specify that the whole of the institution did not commit such violence.

On the side of the police, however, we still refuse to accept and use the term police violence.

Thierry Clair, Deputy Secretary General of the UNSA Police, also believes that the president said the end of the word.

The term "police violence" has been torn from him [...] It is a term which is today used politically to put the police on trial.

Thierry Clair, Deputy Secretary General of the UNSA Police union

Pierre Olivier

♦ Pedestrian cameras, a good solution for the police

The President of the Republic announced during the interview the generalization of pedestrian cameras for the police next June, in order to put transparency in the relations between citizens and the police.

A measure welcomed by the police, who believe that these cameras will shed light on those responsible for certain muscular arrests.

The pedestrian cameras and the police are not opposed to it, quite the contrary.

Because the pedestrian cameras, they will be there, I would say, more to protect the police, to help also if the use is given to us.

Thierry Clair, Deputy Secretary General of the UNSA Police union

Pierre Olivier

The Head of State also addressed the issue of facies checks carried out by the police, whose reality he recognized.

For Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme, it is a step forward in the fight against this phenomenon.

We can hope that these words will lead to the opening of debates, reflections, the establishment of methods to ensure that what is obviously something that deeply affects the relationship that citizens can have with the Republic, which is also embodied by the representatives who are the members of the police.

Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme

Stephane Geneste

Emmanuel Macron recognized the facies checks practiced by the police In response to these actions, he promised the launch of a national platform for reporting discrimination, managed by the State, the defender of rights and associations , from the beginning of next year.

For SOS racisme, it is a step forward to fight against this phenomenon

This is a very good thing, but to really fight against the scourge of racial discrimination, we need to deploy a whole series of actions not only towards victims, which this platform does, but also towards discriminators to do so. so that there is no longer, or there is less, in any case, discriminatory practices in our country.

Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme

Stephane Geneste

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • France

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Youth

On the same subject

France: how does IGPN work?

Report France

Word of a policeman: "It is indisputable that there is violence committed by the police"