“I take it as a sign of affection”: Emmanuel Macron’s response to a presidential candidacy

“The mandate given to me by the French, I will exercise it until the last quarter of an hour”. Asked this Thursday about the calendar of the French presidency of the European Union, which takes place in the midst of the presidential election, Emmanuel Macron expressed his desire to preside until the last moment, occasionally brushing aside the hypothesis of a announcement of candidacy for the next elections.

“The challenges that are ours, whether they are health, migratory, energy …, imply choices”, explained the President of the Republic, during the press conference inducting the French presidency. “Tell me when to stop working democratically? It’s the end of the mandate. I will work until the end of the mandate.”

“And there are sometimes important choices that must be made, a few weeks or a few months before the end of a mandate”, he continues. “If I am faced with this situation, I will do it and therefore being democratically elected president with a term, I will act in this condition until that term.”

Asked about Eric Zemmour’s candidacy, the Head of State remained elusive: “It is not for the President of the Republic to qualify or disqualify a candidate for a future election. It is for the French people to decide sovereignly. There are rules, it is for the judge to decide”.

Asked at the end of his press conference by the journalist from TF1 and LCI on a possible presidential candidacy, the Head of State responded, this time, in a tone of humor. He linked this question to another that had just been asked about the closing of nightclubs due to the health context.

“Everyone will remember that, undoubtedly for the first time in our history, we have a question combining the candidacy for the presidency of the Republic with discotheques. Which perhaps is an invitation to party and the source of promises”, joked Emmanuel Macron. Before adding: “It’s okay for you to ask it, and I totally respect it. I take it very well. I take it as a sign of affection, a hidden desire … Almost a call.”.

Through the humor, the head of state confirmed that his immediate calendar did not provide for a short-term announcement on his political ambitions. This did not prevent him, on Thursday, from delivering an agenda for the French presidency of the EU which extends beyond the presidential election.