“It is no longer a gap, it is a gaping hole”: Emmanuel Macron's defense of Gérard Depardieu has revived the opposition between the head of state and feminists, whose relations had calmed somewhat with the inclusion of abortion in the constitution.
• Also read: “No, we are not proud of Gérard Depardieu,” says former President François Hollande
• Also read: Macron denounces a “manhunt” against Depardieu
In an interview on France 5 on Wednesday evening, Emmanuel Macron said he was a “great admirer” of the actor, against whom in particular two complaints of rape and sexual assault have been made in France and who has been accused in one of the two cases. Gérard Depardieu rejects these allegations.
“There is no longer a gap between us and the head of state, it is a gaping hole,” Maëlle Noir from the national coordination of the “Nous tous” collective told AFP.
The president's statements “are not only scandalous, but also dangerous, they send a signal that we should continue not to believe the victims and trample on their words with complete impunity,” she believes. “It is extremely violent, a major step backwards in political attitudes towards violence against women.”
The same analysis at the Women's Foundation, whose president Anne-Cécile Mailfert highlights Emmanuel Macron's “masculine” beliefs and states that she no longer has hope or “illusion” about him on issues of women's rights.
“We are clearly in the culture of rape, in the discourse that aims to reverse the blame: it is no longer Gérard Depardieu, the hunter, the predator, it is the women who hunt the men who target them apart.”
“It is all the more serious because we are talking about the President of the Republic. His words commit our country and have a real impact,” she told AFP. “He could have said that it is unbearable to talk about women like that, that equality between women and men is enshrined in the Constitution, he could have had a message for the victims of Gérard Depardieu and for women in general.” He didn't do it.
“One step forward, five steps back”
Emmanuel Macron's position is “constant,” says the president of the Women's Foundation. She remembers his comments in recent years denouncing “a society of inquisition” or even “the era of distrust” when he alleged sexual violence against those in power.
These tensions between the head of state and feminist associations put an end to the relative appeasement that has prevailed since the presentation in mid-December of a draft constitution aimed at incorporating the freedom to resort to abortion into the constitution.
Even if the chosen wording – “freedom” rather than “right” – did not satisfy feminist activists, they nevertheless welcomed a “powerful symbol” after the regression of this right in the United States in 2022.
In this context, Emmanuel Macron's defense of Gérard Depardieu is even worse, notes Louise Delavier from the association “En avant tout(s)”.
“Doing so much communication to talk about defending women and their rights and then brazenly defending someone like Depardieu creates cognitive dissonance,” she says. “At the same time, it is the one who is not satisfied with these issues.”
Emmanuel Macron's statements on Wednesday evening that he was “untouchable” in the fight against violence against women and gender equality, the main causes of his five-year term, are “irrelevant”, adds Louise Delavier.
The feminist activist welcomes that “something has certainly happened” since 2017, but “there is still a lot to do: the number of femicides is not decreasing, violence continues to be denounced on a daily basis, structures are being closed, even though they are sometimes the only ones.” those in an area who can ensure the safety and accommodation of women.”
Suzy Rojtman, spokeswoman for the National Collective for Women's Rights, also does not hide her disillusionment: “With the president it is one step forward, five steps back.”