At 39 days from the first round, it was an address as expected as it was feared by the opposition as its impact could be major on the presidential campaign.
While the conflict has been raging between Ukraine and Russia for almost a week, Emmanuel Macron spoke on Wednesday evening during a solemn intervention, as he had promised last Thursday.
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Read alsoWar in Ukraine: what to remember from Emmanuel Macron's speech
The opportunity to qualify Russia as an
“aggressor”
.
For him,
“deliberately” and by “renouncing one by one the commitments made before the community of nations, President Putin has chosen war.”
In a serious and martial tone, the President of the Republic has therefore chosen to dress in the clothes of the Chief of the Armed Forces a few hours before entering the electoral battle.
Redact this international field to better go on the political field.
Something to thrill his future opponents who find themselves trapped: between national unity - and therefore more or less assumed support for Emmanuel Macron's speech - and diplomatic proposals.
Read alsoUkraine: Macron “expresses” his “confidence” in the armies, “knows he can count” on them
Often accused of having been in favor of the Russian regime, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, on LCI, first "
shared the seriousness of President Macron on the unpredictability of the decisions that Vladimir Putin could take.
Depicting himself as the cantor of a "
party for peace, vigilant and not neutral in relation to Putin's aggression
", the pretender LFI aims to counter
"the powerful party of the warmongers"
which would exist in France.
On Wednesday evening, Emmanuel Macron especially wanted to reassure the French about the impact that the sanctions imposed on Russia could have on the growth of the country and on the purchasing power of the French.
What to announce an “economic and social” resilience plan to hope to mitigate the shock.
Very lenient towards the President of the Republic, the Insoumis leader has also promoted "
the blocking of prices
" of energy and "
a diplomatic initiative
" to prevent the "
contagion of the conflict
".
On France 2, the ecologist Yannick Jadot did not refer directly to the remarks of the tenant of the Élysée.
And explained that it was simply necessary "
the unity of political leaders in France, in Europe, the unity of the French, the unity of Europeans because what is at stake is our peace, our security, our democracy
”.
"Macron embodies as much as he sees the policies that have weakened France and Europe", mocks Le Pen
A few moments before Emmanuel Macron spoke, Valérie Pécresse wanted to salute on France 5
"the firmness and near-unanimity
of the condemnation of this war"
and "
the sanctions taken by France and by Europe
".
All this, calling for
“showing composure and avoiding any overbidding”.
The opportunity to attack Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Éric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen for their former pro-Russian positions without directly castigating the head of state.
As if to better play the presidential card against them and set up his duel with Emmanuel Macron.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: after Zemmour, Pécresse asks Macron to appoint Sarkozy as "mediator" of the conflict
On the National Rally side, Marine Le Pen is fiercer towards the Head of State on Twitter:
“Emmanuel Macron embodies as much as he sees the policies that have weakened France and Europe.
Candidate this evening from an old world that is failing before our eyes, he no longer represents any promise of protection for the French”.
Moderating his remarks on Monday on RTL when he asserted that Russia was guilty, but not solely responsible for the rise in tensions, Éric Zemmour somewhat qualified his remarks on Wednesday on CNews: “
I cannot say that like Emmanuel Macron, Russia is the only aggressor.
There is a difference between defining the aggressor and defining the various responsibilities (...).
We'll see later what we missed.
Today, the time is not for the evaluation of historians
”.
Unsurprisingly, the majority supports the President of the Republic and relays his word.
“Faced with the unacceptable, we stand with the Ukrainian people.
The sanctions that will weigh on Russia will have a cost.
On raw materials or energy, Emmanuel Macron repeats it: everything will be done to protect our fellow citizens.
Let's stick together, let's stay united”,
reacted in particular on Twitter the boss of the LREM deputies Christophe Castaner.