French soccer star Kylian Mbappé, the captain of the national team, expressed his concerns about the critical political situation in France, labeling it as “catastrophic.” Following the strong election results obtained by the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, with around 33% of the votes in the first round, there is growing apprehension about the potential rise of a far-right government in the country, a first since World War II. Mbappé, a prominent figure in France, emphasized the urgency for citizens to participate in the upcoming second round of the legislative elections to prevent the far-right party from gaining power.
Echoing his sentiments from Euro 2024 where he cautioned about extremist elements inching towards power, Mbappé reinforced the importance of citizens exercising their voting rights to safeguard the country from falling into the hands of such ideologies. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, called for the snap election after a defeat at the hands of the National Rally in European Parliament elections, with the hope of thwarting their success in a domestic ballot, a gamble that appears to have backfired as Le Pen’s party now eyes a potential majority in the upcoming second round.
Mbappé urged unity and solidarity among voters to support the right party and bring about a change in the election results. As France’s players continue to be questioned about the political climate in their homeland during Euro 2024 news conferences, there is a growing sense of alarm and determination to prevent the National Rally, a party with a history of racism and xenophobia, from attaining significant power.
France, known for its diverse and united soccer team that claimed the Euro 2000 title and the World Cup, stands at a crossroads, with voices within the team emphasizing the need for daily resistance against extremist ideologies to preserve the nation’s values of diversity and inclusivity.