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Football star Kylian Mbappé stood up to oppose the far-right, which seemed to be on its way to an election victory.
The researcher considers his speech significant, because Mbappé is a person admired by many, especially young people, and his examples and opinions carry a lot of weight.
Young people who grew up in the suburbs follow his words closely and consider him a role model.
“The opponents of the far right won in the second round of the elections.
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé has distinguished himself during the European Championship by taking a stand on his home country’s politics. For the second time Les Bleus Mbappé, who represents Eurocourts, last commented on the situation of the French parliamentary elections on Thursday at the press conference of the tournament.
Marine Le Pen led by the National Alliance party, or RN, took a leap towards electoral victory in the first round of the elections on the last day of June, when it received approximately 33 percent of the votes cast.
The result caused despair in the opponents of the French winger, which was also visible in Mbappé’s exit last Thursday.
“There is an emergency. We cannot leave our country in the hands of these people. This is important. I think we have seen the result. This is catastrophic,” the superstar said after the first round of the election.
The result caused widespread concern for the future of France and Europe as a whole. RN is a nationalist and anti-immigration party that has also been open about its intentions to reduce support for Ukraine.
However, in the second round of the elections on Sunday, the situation unexpectedly turned upside down, when the opponents of the far-right, led by a left-wing coalition, won just a few days after Mbappé’s strong position.
Helsinki academy researcher at the university Timo Miettinen according to it is difficult to assess the significance of Mbappé’s individual statement for the election result, but it is still clear that his influence in France is considerable.
“He uses significant public speaking power. Mbappé is truly a person admired by many, especially young children, and his examples and statements carry a lot of weight.”
“Even the fact that politicians like Marine Le Pen have to react to his speeches shows that he is not a bully, but his words carry a lot of weight.”
Le Pen, one of the leading politicians of the RN roared on Friday CNN about Mbappé’s exit. According to him, a superstar making millions cannot afford to advise ordinary French people who are really affected by the outcome of the election.
Miettinen believes that Mbappé’s stance reflected a more general way of thinking that intensified in France on the far right in the week after the victorious first round.
The country’s left and center blocs, among other things, removed their rival candidates within the same constituencies in order to focus their votes against the far right.
Marine Le Pen had to take a stand on Mbappe’s exit.
Miettinen estimates that the statements of a sports star like Mbappé will especially affect young people and voters who move between parties, as well as football fans.
In addition, the star’s opinions appeal especially to people from similar backgrounds.
“Certainly young people with an immigrant background like Mbappé, who grew up in the suburbs, closely follow what he says and consider him a role model.”
Investigator points out that sports in France are not depoliticized, unlike for example in Finland. The French are used to the fact that the country’s brightest sports stars often take a stand on politics.
“Perhaps in Finland, we are more used to the fact that athletes do not want to comment on politics, because it is somehow seen as a factor that divides the nation. “
“In France, the idea is again that taking a stand is an indication of some kind of opinion leadership or something else, and the sanctions for comments are not feared in the same way,” Miettinen assesses.
For example, Miettinen brings up the 2002 French presidential election, before which several national team players refused to participate in the soccer World Cup organized in the same year, if the far-right candidate who reached the second round Jean-Marie Le Pen (Marine Le Pen’s father) would have won the election.
The European football championships culminate in the semi-finals and finals played this week. France and Mbappé’s tournament continues on Tuesday when they face Spain in Munich. On Wednesday, Holland and England will play for a place in Sunday’s final.
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