French nationalists have slammed presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron for addressing a conference in English during a Berlin visit. Macron showed "no respect" for the French language, the National Front (FN) said.
Image: Reuters/P. Wojazer
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The 39-year-old drew attention with the lengthy speech he gave at Berlin's Humboldt University during an official trip to the German capital. In the address, Macron focused on the future of the EU and ties between France and Germany, and - in an unusual move for a French politician - he spoke in English.
The choice of language was immediately labeled unpatriotic by France's far right National Front (FN).
"Presidential candidate Macron goes to Berlin to do a conference in English... poor France!" FN leader Marine Le Pen wrote in a signed tweet on Tuesday.
Macron, who also speaks German, is currently among the most popular politicians in France, according to the AFP news agency. With the French presidential vote looming in April, the former economy minister could overtake Le Pen and mainstream party candidates and fight his way into the run-off round. Macron was visiting Berlin as a part of his tour promoting the new En Marche party.
The centrist candidate is explicitly pro-European and hasrepeatedly praised Germany's refugee policy, while at the same time calling for reform within the EU. His policies run opposite to the National Front, which urged a French referendum to leave the bloc.
On Tuesday, the party's vice president Florian Philippot responded angrily to a tweet praising Macron for being multilingual.
"He just shows that he has no respect for our language and that he doesn't believe in France," Philippot wrote.
In France, both the government and the media put great effort into promoting French and preserving its purity. The outgoing president, Francois Hollande, speaks very little English. One of his predecessors, Jacques Chirac, walked out of an EU conference in 2006 when a French businessman addressed the attendees in English.
While France remains proud of its language, an overwhelming majority of students believes a president should speak fluent English, according to a survey cited by the French edition of the Local news site.
French election: The major players
France is choosing a new president this year. A first round vote on April 23 isn't expected to produce a clear winner, setting up a face-off between the top two contenders on May 7. DW takes a look at the major players.
Image: AP
Emmanuel Macron
Macron quit as economy minister in August and launched his independent presidential bid in November. The 39-year-old centrist formed his own political movement, En Marche (Forward), and is seen as a reformer. Despite having never held elected office, polls have predicted his win in the final round of voting in May. He's voiced admiration for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Bozon
Marine Le Pen
The National Front leader has adopted a more moderate tone than her anti-Semitic father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. But she still takes a hard line on immigration, saying children of irregular migrants should not have access to public education. She also wants France to withdraw from the eurozone and have a referendum on EU membership. It's predicted she'll advance to the second round.
Image: Reuters/P. Rossignol
Francois Fillon
A surprise winner of the right-wing Republicans primaries, the socially conservative Fillon is seen to represent the interests of France's Catholic middle class. An admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he supports a liberal economic policy. Though Penelopegate and other scandals have marred Fillon's campaign, he has professed no wrongdoing and vowed to fight on.
Image: Reuters/P. Wojazer
Benoit Hamon
In a runoff against former French PM Manuel Valls in the Socialist primary, Hamon was the more left-wing choice of the two politicians. The 49-year-old supports a universal basic income and wants to shorten the traditional work week. He has also spoken in support of increased investment in renewable energy. He faces an uphill battle as many socialist politicians have voiced support for Macron.
Image: Reuters/P. Wojazer
Jean-Luc Melenchon
The Left Party's candidate landed fourth in the 2012 presidential elections. Melenchon, a current European Parliament member, believes the bloc's economic liberalism has stifled France. He hopes to profit from the center-left's disarray, but may split votes with socialist Hamon. Supported by the French Communist party, Melenchon advocates a shorter work week and climate protection.
