President Emmanuel Macron faced accusations of racism Friday over an alleged comment on problems in French hospitals which the Elysee strongly denies he made.
It comes a day after he was also accused of sexist remarks about women opposition leaders and a homophobic quip about a former prime minister he appointed himself.
Le Monde daily said that Macron said that the “problem with emergency care in this country is that it’s filled with people called Mamadou” during a discussion last year in front of his then health minister Aurelien Rousseau.
Mamadou is a name popular among men originating from Muslim ethnic groups in West Africa.
The comment was included in a series of articles by the daily about the behind-the-scenes atmosphere at the Elysee Palace under Macron, who has been in power since 2017.
“The Elysee strongly denies these reported remarks, which were not subjected to any verification by the presidency before publication,” a presidency official said.
Before the denial was issued, several left-wing politicians had strongly condemned the comments.
“These racist remarks by the president… are an insult to the Republic. It is an absolute disgrace,” said Manuel Bompard of France Unbowed (LFI)on X, echoing the indignation of many in his hard left movement.
“I can’t wait for him (Macron) to go.”
The alleged remarks “are damning”, added the Communist senator for Paris, Ian Brossat.
Le Monde also alleged that Macron had dubbed the prime minister’s office under former premier Gabriel Attal — who is openly gay — “La cage aux folles”, a reference to a popular French farce featuring two gay men.
It also claimed he called Greens leader Marine Tondelier and Lucie Castets, who the left wanted to nominate as premier, “cocottes”, a derogatory term for women.
“Yesterday we learned of extremely shocking homophobic remarks made by the president about Gabriel Attal,” Tondelier said on X. “Today, they are sexist remarks. We are impatiently waiting for tomorrow.”
“Everything goes there (at the Elysee) — racism, homophobia, sexism. All locked away inside a gilded palace, far from the gaze of the French, who he lectures all day long,” added left-wing MP Francois Ruffin.
Macron was also facing controversy over a comment he made Thursday while on a visit to the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, which was devastated by Cyclone Chido last weekend.
“If this was not (part of) France you would be 10,000 times deeper in the shit,” he told a crowd.
Greens MP Sandrine Rousseau accused Macron of going to Mayotte with “an arrogant attitude and giving lessons”.
