The fact is rare enough to be highlighted.
The former President of the Republic, François Hollande, left the very institutional digital communication that he imposes on himself, Thursday afternoon, to crush on X (ex-Twitter) Sébastien Chenu, the vice-president of the National Rally .
He accuses him of having
“brazenly lied during his interview on TF1”
that same morning.
It must be said that the incriminated outing concerns a point in François Hollande's record of which he is particularly proud: the suspension of arms deliveries to Vladimir Putin's Russia, decided in reaction to the invasion of Crimea in 2014.
"Must -I remind you that as President of the Republic I canceled the sale to Russia of Mistrals (amphibious helicopter carriers, editor's note) in 2015
,” the socialist pretended to wonder.
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In question, a reproach addressed Thursday by Sébastien Chenu to Emmanuel Macron, a few hours before a meeting of party leaders at the Élysée on the subject of the war in Ukraine.
The nationalist accused the head of state of having
“sold war equipment to Russia”
, specifying that it was the “Mistral” ships
in 2017”
.
The Lepenist MP estimated, moreover, that the French boats he was talking about were now
“probably used to wage war in Ukraine”
.
Problem is, the information is false: François Hollande's decision in 2015 to cancel the sale concluded years earlier - before the invasion of Crimea - prevented the transaction from going through.
Neither Emmanuel Macron nor his predecessor therefore delivered Mistral to Russia, since they were ultimately bought by Egypt.
The former socialist president did not fail to recall that his decision had at the time provoked strong reactions from the Front which became the National Rally.
“Marine Le Pen and her party considered that it was a “serious mistake, which seriously damaged the very credibility of France””
, recalls François Hollande, screenshot of a press release from the party with the flame at the 'support.
And added:
“I am honored to have made this decision when many others were speaking of a betrayal of France’s word
. ”