Macron poses on a jet ski - and France is burning: "Detachment and megalomania"
"The president of the rich" is again under fire for arrogance and detachment from his people: while France is dealing with giant fires, Emmanuel Macron published a picture of himself on a jet ski and sparked the anger of the French.
French President Emmanuel Macron is accused of "megalomania" and complete detachment after he was documented showing off his performance on a jet ski while deadly forest fires continue to destroy France. The 48-year-old French president faced sharp criticism over the weekend from opposition politicians following photos from his glamorous vacation that were published on the cover of the well-known French magazine "Paris Match".
France is currently dealing with some of the most severe forest fires in its history against the backdrop of almost incessant heat waves, with the massive cost of damages estimated at about 19 billion dollars. Pierre Ouzoulias, a senator from the Communist Party, was interviewed by the radio station "Europe 1" and defined Macron's behavior as "shameless":
"Personally, I would have preferred to see him inside a fire truck, helping the firefighters extinguish the flames. That is the place where he belongs".
Alexis Corbière, from the left-wing party, also did not remain silent and mocked the president's muscles, his expensive sunglasses, and the "polluting watercraft" he used near Fort de Brégançon, the presidential vacation residence on the Riviera. Corbière attacked:
"This staged photo testifies to the absolute megalomania of his personality, and to his lack of understanding of the ecological, social, and democratic crisis".
According to the report in the British "Telegraph", the timing could not have been worse. The photos were published on the day a judge blocked Macron's attempt to ban those under 15 from using social media, on the grounds of infringing on freedom of speech. In addition to the jet ski, photos were published of the president smiling while operating a motorboat loaded with his security guards, and a picture of his wife, Brigitte Macron, in shorts and a baseball cap. The magazine, which is owned by luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault, reported that the entire presidential entourage was in a "summer camp" atmosphere.
Macron, who was previously called "the president of the rich", is again under fire for arrogance in parallel with the national disaster. One fire near Bordeaux destroyed over 200 homes in July and caused the evacuation of 220,000 people, while the European Forest Fire Information System estimates that about 950,000 dunams of land have been destroyed so far. The president's associates were quick to push back against the criticism and insisted that he had postponed his vacation until the main fire was extinguished, and that he makes sure to combine work and conversations with world leaders during his vacation.
