France is the nation that won the 2018 World Cup and now the far right is close to taking power in this nation. But at the same time they face the tough challenges from their opponents, the national soccer team, Les Bleus.
Les Bleus teammates encouraged people to cast their votes. They motivate people to vote in a big election happening during the men’s European Championship this summer.
After becoming the winner of the 2018 World Cup, now France is a favorite to win the tournament in Germany. With this game winning passion, people are also paying attention to elections and their votes. This is because a single vote can make big political changes.
According to Kylian Mbappe, many extreme political groups are closest to gaining power. He is the star football player. He also urged many youngsters to use their vote power and bring changes in the nation. This is the time when the country is at a critical point.
Mbappe, 25, emphasized that he doesn’t want to represent a country that goes against his values and those of others.
His comments reflect the worry many people have as elections on June 30 and July 7 approach. Due to far right gains in European Parliamentary elections, Emmanuel Macron called these elections unexpectedly.
Right now France is facing a lot of political troubles due to the upcoming election campaign. The main focus of the French citizens is on the European tournament and the upcoming Paris Olympics rather than elections.
According to the latest survey information, it is happening for the first time in France’s history that the far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party might win.
Many French players and also Mbappe have been speaking out about this.
Marcus Thuram, the son of Lilian Thuram, was very clear about the upcoming elections. He told the voter to fight every single day to stop the party from gaining power. Lilian Thuram is one of the famous French soccer players.
Ousmane Dembélé also urged people to vote last week, saying “the alarm bell” has been rung.
Tom Williams said that it is not normal for French soccer to speak about this.
“I think particularly the fact that Marcus Thuram specifically encouraged people not to vote for RN, that’s pretty unique in the recent history of French football,” said Williams.
The team is often seen as a symbol of France’s multiculturalism, with players who are Black, Arab, or Muslim, and often from former French colonies in the Caribbean and Africa.
Mbappe is one of these players. He was born in the suburbs of Paris, but his father is from Cameroon and his mother is from Algeria.
The winner of France’s first World Cup in 1998 was praised by many people for its diversity and unity. The name of the team was rainbow. This is because it includes players that have different backgrounds. This team showed what France could be like if people accepted their differences.
Professor Rainbow Murray from Queen Mary University of London says the far right often attacks the team. They question how French the non white players are and criticize them for not singing every word of the national anthem.
Jordan Bardella, a young far-right leader, reacted to the players’ comments. On Tuesday, he criticized Mbappe and asked for “respect” for everyone’s vote, while also making a comment about Mbappe’s privileged position.
“When you’re lucky enough to have a very, very big salary, when you are a multimillionaire … then I’m a little embarrassed to see these athletes … give lessons to people who can no longer make ends meet,” Bardella said.
Julien Odoul, a spokesperson for the party, said he’s tired of “privileged people giving lessons.”
According to Murray, the French public love the French team when they play well and win the games. Players know how to protect the country from the party known as racist and xenophobic.
The French soccer federation supported the players’ right to speak freely but also said the national team should stay “neutral,” and players shouldn’t be pressured or used for politics.
Later on Friday France and Netherlands both play again as an opponent. After an injury in Monday’s game, Mbappe returned to play another game by wearing protective mask with the French colors (red, white, and blue).
