France’s star athletes refuse to ‘stick to sports’ ahead of elections

French President Emmanuel Macron has received an unexpected endorsement from members of the French national soccer team, who are using their platform to urge young voters to oppose “extremists” in the upcoming national elections.

During a weekend press conference for UEFA Euro tournament being held in Germany, France forward Marcus Thuram called on his fellow citizens to “fight daily” to prevent the surging nationalist far-right from gaining power in the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for later this month.

“I think the situation is sad,” Thuram said when asked about a potential win of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party. “It’s the sad reality of our society today. As Ousmane (Dembele) said, we must tell everyone to go and vote. We all need to fight daily so that this doesn’t happen and that the National Rally does not succeed.”

Thuram was joined by fellow France teammate and captain Kylian Mbappe, widely regarded as one of the best soccer players in the world. Mbappe, 25, echoed Thuram’s sentiments and urged young voters in France to vote “against the extremists.”

“We have an opportunity to choose the future of the country, and we have to emphasize the importance of the task,” Mbappe said.

“Today we can all see that extremists are very close to winning power, and we have the opportunity to choose the future of our country.”

The superstar did not mention any politicians by name, but his comments were not lost on Le Pen’s party. The National Rally quickly criticized Mbappe, telling him, in so many words, to stick to sports.

“When you have the chance, the honor of wearing the jersey of the French team, you have to show a little restraint,” said Sebastien Chenu, the party’s vice president.

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudéa-Castéra came out in support of Mbappe’s political statement, saying: “He wanted to speak to young people at a totally unprecedented and decisive moment for the future of the country.”

‘Not too French’

France’s national soccer team has long been seen as a symbol of diversity in the country but has faced criticism from the far-right for being “not too French.”

The squad currently playing in the Euro includes several Black players among its 26 members, as well as players of Arab descent.

“For some, this diversity symbolized a glorious future for France, integrating people from different origins. However, the National Front [the old name for Le Pen’s National Rally] and others regretted that the team didn’t reflect the majority of the French population,” Stéphane Gerson, a professor of French Studies and History at New York University, told Newsweek.

Marcus Thuram, who plays for Inter Milan in addition to the French national team, is the son of Lilian Thuram, a former superstar who helped France win the World Cup in 1998. Born in Guadeloupe, Lilian, 52, had a history of disagreements with the National Front and its former leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine’s father.

“It’s significant that Thuram’s son is the first to speak out against the extreme right, continuing a political genealogy of advocating for diversity and addressing issues of racial violence,” Gerson told Newsweek.

New endorsements

On Sunday, several French sports personalities, including former tennis stars Yannick Noah and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and track-and-field star Marie-José Perec, called for a vote against the far-right in an op-ed for L’Equipe, a sports daily. Former French soccer superstar Thierry Henry, now coach of the French Olympic team, also urged voters to “block the extremes.”

While Macron has not publicly commented on the athletes’ statements, Oudéa-Castéra, his sports minister, has made a point of celebrating their remarks. “We see that our athletes want to make their voices heard,” she said.

The athletes’ endorsements come at a critical time, according to Gerson, given that Macron’s Renaissance party is underperforming in polls as Le Pen’s National Rally surges.

“Macron is in a difficult position—his party is weak, and he’s not doing well in the European and upcoming legislative elections. He’s grabbing onto symbolic aspects of the presidency, using the France National Team, the Olympics, rebuilding Notre-Dame, and honoring historical figures to boost his image.”

Following the comments by Thuram and Mbappe, the French Football Federation has barred its players at the Euro from making any further statements about the upcoming elections. French voters will head to the polls on June 29 and 30, coinciding with the quarter-final stage of the tournament taking place in Germany.