During the Fifth Republic, football gained great importance until it became a major political tool. Hoping to increase their popularity, presidents have often tried to tie their national destinies to the successes of the French team. This exercise is not without risks: If Jacques Chirac was re-elected to a seat a few years after the Blues’ first victory in 1998, Nicolas Sarkozy couldn’t say the same when Raymond Domenech’s team was smashed in front of the cameras in 2010. in South Africa…
Before the 1998 World Cup, Jacques Chirac’s rating was the lowest. In 1997, the right lost its majority in parliamentary elections. The President must therefore live with Lionel Jospin, a Socialist Prime Minister. His political survival instinct prompted him to provide media support to the Eleven tricolor, to the great amusement of observers like Le Monde journalist Raphaëlle Bacqué: Far less than Lionel Jospin knows nothing about football. But that doesn’t matter. The symbolism of football he knows is the symbolism of the France team. And he will play it very well.”
At the Elysian garden party on July 14, 1998, he was celebrated as a hero along with the victorious Blues. Nicolas Sarkozy, then François Hollande will do the same, but without success. Unlike Emmanuel Macron, whose photo travels the world showing himself drunk with joy in the first goal of the 2018 final.
Les Bleus and Élysée: Sunday 20 November at 20:50, France 5
FREDERIC LOHEZIC
Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
