For those who lean to the right and live in France, Tuesday night was magnificent. Not only did Les Bleus open their European Championship campaign with a 1-0 victory against Germany, but their boys defied expectation by not taking the knee before kick-off.
The build-up to the match had been overshadowed by an announcement on Monday by the team captain, Hugo Lloris, that France would follow England and Wales in taking the knee. Cue 24 hours of controversy. On social media, in TV studios and in the National Assembly it was ‘La question du jour’. Should they or shouldn’t they?
The issue proved as divisive in France as it has in Britain, with the response conforming to political ideologies. The far-left applauded the move and the far-right expressed their outrage. ‘Boycottlesbleus’ was a popular hashtag on Twitter throughout Tuesday, although most football fans merely wondered what the link was between an American gesture and France.
For Emmanuel Macron’s LREM party the question proved particularly problematic.
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