France captain Mbappé urges young people to vote, warns against ‘extremes’ ahead of snap polls
France captain Mbappé urges young people to vote, warns against ‘extremes’ ahead of snap polls
France superstar and captain Kylian Mbappe on Sunday declared himself "against extremes and divisive ideas" when asked about crucial upcoming legislative elections in the country.
Mbappé did not explicitly speak out against or in favour of any party ahead of the elections, the first round of which will take place on June 30 with the second round on July 7.
However, the striker defended comments made on Saturday by his teammate Marcus Thuram, saying he "had not gone too far" in calling on the country "to fight every day to stop" the far-right National Rally (RN) winning the elections.
Read moreFrench football star Thuram takes stand against far right ahead of elections
"I think this a crucial moment in the history of our country, an unprecedented situation," Mbappé, 25, said at a press conference in Duesseldorf, where France play Austria in their opening Euro 2024 game on Monday.
"The Euros is very important in our careers, but we are citizens first and foremost and I don't think we can be disconnected from the world around us," added the icon of French football, who has just signed for Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappé said he wanted to convince young people that their votes could make a difference.
"Today we can all see that extremists are very close to winning power and we have the opportunity to choose the future of our country," he said. "That is why I call on all young people to go out and vote, to really be aware of the importance of the situation.
He added: "The country needs to identify with the values of diversity and tolerance. That is undeniable. I really hope we make the right decision."
Political awareness 'does not impede football'
It is the first time Mbappe has spoken publicly since far-right parties including Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) managed took almost 40 percent of the vote in France in last week's EU elections.
President Emmanuel Macron responded to those results by calling the snap poll for the National Assembly, which could see the RN become the biggest party.
Read moreFighting on two fronts, France’s Macron flags ‘extremist fever’ on right and left
After Thuram spoke on Saturday, the French Football Federation issued a statement demanding the team not be subject "to any form of pressure and political use".
The FFF said that although they respected freedom of expression they "wish (their) neutrality to be respected by all... as well as that of the squad".
At the press conference on Sunday, Mbappé said discussing politics would not hurt France's chances on the field.
The upcoming vote is "a situation that is even more important than the game tomorrow," he said, before adding: "One does not impede the other, not at all."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)