Emmanuel Macron returned to the controversy. After the passage of Cyclone Chido which devastated Mayotte, during an interview given to the Mahoraise press, including the Mayotte La 1ère channel, the President of the Republic defended his remarks made during a gathering of affected residents in Petite -Land, in Pamandzi, Thursday, December 19 in the evening.
“Last night, we will be clear: leaders of the National Rally saw fit to organize a militant rally and to insult France by saying that it was doing nothing. And I told the truth,” Emmanuel Macron justified himself in an interview with the local press. “I can't let people insult our country like that and, because it's France, the president gets angry! “, he added.
Outraged opposition. Microphone in hand, surrounded by the crowd, Emmanuel Macron was questioned about the state's inaction. “Don’t pit people against each other!” If you pit people against each other, we're screwed, because you're happy to be in France. Because if it wasn't France you would be 10,000 times more in trouble! “, he replied. “We cannot want to be a French department and say that it does not work when France is in solidarity. Everyone must respect each other. We will last until the end if we are a team,” he added.
Political oppositions were scandalized by his remarks. On France 2, environmentalist MP Sandrine Rousseau criticized the “arrogant and lesson-giving attitude” of the head of state. “We have the greatest human catastrophe since the Second World War and we are putting on a Macron show. It’s not up to par,” she continued.
On RTL, the National Rally (RN) deputy Sébastien Chenu judged that the President of the Republic's remarks were not likely to “comfort our Mahorese compatriots who, through this type of expression, always have the feeling of be treated separately.
