France: Man who slapped President Emmanuel Macron jailed for four months

A French court sentenced the 28-year-old man who slapped French President Emmanuel Macron to 18 months in jail, 14 of which were suspended, BFM TV reported. Damien Tarel, who is a medieval martial arts enthusiast, had earlier acknowledged striking Macron during the President’s visit to the southeastern French region of Drome. However, he later told investigators it was not premeditated. 

On June 10, French prosecutors sought an 18-month prison sentence against Tarel who was filmed slapping Macron across the face. According to the media outlet, they called the incident “absolutely unacceptable” and “an act of deliberate violence”. The 28-year-old was in court facing a charge of assault against a public official, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a 45,000 euro fine. 

Macron has shrugged off the assault and called it an “isolated event”. He even promised to continue meeting voters despite concerns for his personal security. “We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don't deserve it," he said.

Politicians condemn ‘intolerable physical aggression’ 

Meanwhile, leaders across the political spectrum have united in condemning the slap, with many seeing it as a symptom of the fraught political climate and declining standards of public debate just weeks from regional elections and 10 months from presidential polls. Following the incident, the French Prime Minister said that the incident was an affront to democracy. According to BBC, Jean Castex told the National Assembly that while democracy meant debate and legitimate disagreement “it must never, in any case, mean violence, verbal aggression, and even less physical attack”. Castex further called for a “republican awakening” and added that the foundations of the country’s democracy are at stake. 

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon tweeted “solidarity with the president” and said that no disagreement can justify physical assault. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen also posted her own condemnation. Le Pen said that while democratic debate can be bitter, it can never tolerate physical violence. She added that it is “inadmissible to physically attack the President” and also said, “I am the 1st opponent of Emmanuel #Macron, but he is the president: we can fight him politically, but we cannot allow the slightest violence towards him”. 

(Image: AP/Twitter)