France will be officially represented at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Doha on Sunday by its Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, in a context of persistent criticism of human rights, the minister's entourage said on Saturday.
"
At the request of the President of the Republic, Gérald Darmanin will represent the French government at the opening ceremony
," said his entourage.
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"
The Minister will thus attend the opening of the last major sporting event before the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games that France will organize respectively in 2023 and 2024
," added the same source.
“
He will visit, on this occasion, the gendarmes and the French police deployed on the spot in order to contribute to the security of this world event
”, said the entourage again.
Macron against a boycott of the World Cup
Preparations for the World Cup, which begins on Sunday, have been dominated by concerns over respect for the rights of workers, women and the LGBT+ community in the Emirate.
Denmark, which has been among the most hostile to the organization of the Qatari World Cup, has indicated that no member of its government will be present for the opening ceremony, nor any ambassador.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out on Thursday against a boycott of the World Cup, believing that "
sport should not be politicized
".
He announced his presence in Qatar for the semi-final or the final in the event of the presence of the France team.
