Euro 2024 and French Politics: Mbappé’s Influence on French Snap Elections
By: Kornelius Hari Sasmito
Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) wins first round of French elections. As reported by the Ministry of the Interior of France,Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) secured approximately 33% of the vote, positioning it ahead of the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition with 28%, and Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance with 20%. As revealed by several pollsters, RN seems likely to gain victory in the second round of French elections. There is concerning sentiment towards immigrants from the right-wing. National Rally has maintained its traditional doctrine known as “national preferences”, which has been renamed “national priority”. This doctrine emphasizes prioritizing French citizen over non-nationals for jobs, social welfare assistance, and housing (Chrisafis, 2024). It grows fear among migrants and those with immigrant background. One of the concerns derives from Kylian Mbappé, a French footballer with immigrant background. In the aftermath of the first round of the election, Mbappé urged voters not to support the National Rally, stating “the results are catastrophic,” and adding, “We cannot leave our country in the hands of these people” at a press conference in Hamburg ahead of France’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Portugal (Le Monde, 2024). He also aimed to convince young people to votes and make a difference. Le Pen responded by criticizing Mbappé to not lecture French Voters on how to vote.
Despite these concerns, the RN finished third in the second round, a surprising outcome given its predicted victory. This shift is partly due to local alliances formed between centrist and left-wing parties to counter the far-right’s rise (Le Monde, 2024). Additionally, many believe Mbappé’s statements played a role. His outspoken criticism revealed deeper issues of racism and discrimination within the political landscape. Mbappé and other players have often faced racism and discrimination due to their identity. The right-wing party appears to be a racist party for them that threat diversity and inclusivity. Pascal Boniface, the founding director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, is confident that Mbappé and other players could reach young people who are less likely to be concerned by politics since they have millions follower on their social media. He also argues that the football team is one of the few things in France that unites the country (Pearson, 2024). Philip Marlière, Professor of French Politics at University College London, shares the same opinion as Boniface. He believes that it could certainly have an impact because of Mbappé’s status as a national icon and may mobilize younger voters who weren’t previously thinking of voting (Kay, 2024). Mbappé’s big name and public attention surrounding Euro 2024 could shape political views and general perceptions on certain issues. His intervention in the elections could be one of the factors affecting results of the second round.
However, on the far-right, it’s a difficult act for a party that wants to associate itself with French success (Ahmatovic, 2024). Mbappé was told to keep his distance from political issues. His impact on French society goes beyond his role as a footballer and should not be undermined. He is not just just a regular footballer; his voice carries weight. Similar to how Zinedine Zidane’s voice resonated in 2002 when he urged voters to “vote for the Republic” against Jean-Marie Le Pen (Secret Match Day, 2024). History has shown how French football players and teams have had an influence on politics in France, even if only in the short run. 1998 World Cup helped to legitimize immigrants, and France’s win in 1998 and 2018 have helped to ease racial tension in the country and changed attitudes to immigrants, as former defender Lilian Thuram has said (Martin, 2018). However, even though there is no direct evidence on Mbappé’s influence on the results of second round, his statement has drawn responses from right-wing politicians. Implying that his influence might undermine their position during the election. Here, the attention to Euro 2024 ‘accommodates’ a platform for footballer to emerge their political stances.
References:
Martin, R. (2018, November 15). France’s World Cup triumphs changed attitudes to immigrants: Thuram . Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-france-thuram-idUSKCN1NJ2YY/
Le Monde . (2024, July 4). French elections: Mbappé says voting is “urgent” after “catastrophic” results. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/07/04/french-elections-mbappe-says-voting-is-urgent-after-catastrophic-results_6676694_5.html
Chrisafis, Angelique (2024, July 1). Far-right National Rally in Reach of being dominant French party after election first round. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/30/far-right-national-rally-in-reach-of-being-dominant-french-party-after-election-first-round
Pearson, Matt (2024, July 9). Euro 2024: Did Kylian Mbappe slow France’s National Rally?. Deustche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/euro-2024-did-kylian-mbappe-slow-frances-national-rally/a-69604846
Ahmatovic, Šejla (2024, June 17). Want to get grips with French Politics? Watch the football. Politico EU. https://www.politico.eu/article/french-football-players-kylian-mbappe-urge-youth-vote-emmanuel-macron-snap-parliamentary-election/
Secret Match Day (2024, June 26). Is the ‘Mbappe Effect’ shaping politics in France?.
Kay, Oliver (2024, June 24). France, racial politics and why ‘the Mbappe effect’ is shaping a bitter election. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5584608/2024/06/24/france-kylian-mbappe-election-euro-2024/
