A French court on Thursday sentenced a man who slapped French President Emmanuel Macron across the face this week to a prison term of 18 months, 14 of which were suspended.
Damien Tarel, a 28-year-old medieval history enthusiast, has been in custody since the assault on Tuesday, which a prosecutor called “absolutely unacceptable” and “an act of deliberate violence”.
Tarel attacked Macron when the French president was shaking hands with members of the public during a walkabout in France’s Drome region.
Tarel said that several days ahead of Macron’s visit to the region, he had thought about throwing an egg or a cream tart at the president, but added the slap was not premeditated.
“I think that Macron represents very neatly the decay of our country,” he told the court, according to BFM TV.
“If I had challenged Macron to a duel at sunrise, I doubt he would have responded.”
Tarel faced 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 ($54,750) fine.
‘Isolated event’
Macron has shrugged off the assault, calling it an “isolated event”, and he has promised to continue meeting voters despite concerns for his personal security.
Asked about it again during an interview on Thursday with BFM TV, he called it a “stupid, violent act” and suggested it was a consequence of the poisonous atmosphere found on social media.
“You get used to the hatred on social media that becomes normalised,” he said.
“And then when you’re face-to-face with someone, you think it’s the same thing. That’s unacceptable.”
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.
“The political climate is turning to vinegar. It’s dangerous what’s happening,” senior leftist MP and regional election candidate Clementine Autain told France Info.
Others saw the assault as a sign of how Macron, a reformist former investment banker, continues to inspire visceral rejection from many French people.
His presidency was rocked by the anti-government “yellow vest” protests in 2018-2019, which were driven in part by anger at his economic reforms as well as his abrasive personality.
Macron, 43, whose personal ratings have risen recently, is expected to seek a second term next year.
Polls show him holding a narrow lead over his main rival, far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Aljazeera
Not 18 months ??
In zimbabwe that will be 40 years in jail, that slap would be an attempted coup and assassination attempt 😂😂😂
Artwell Guramatunhu Chivandire undermining powers of th president, treasonous , intentions to cause body grievous harm, obstruction cause of justice n ** (malicious damage to state property)
Artwell Guramatunhu Chivandire And working for a foreign Grvmnt , which is hostile to the land reform program .
In Africa that guy could be languishing in ……,
Malizani Chimchembere 6ft down
Malizani Chimchembere 6ft if not acid
Malizani Chimchembere acid
A real president supposed to dismiss this matter
Given Mbengo dismiss it why
Never never after u hit me with a clap
Muchizenge dai manga muri muno muZimbabwe eheeede, iye mukadzi wake, vabereki vake nevemukadzi, magerofurendi ake nezvikomba zvemukadzi wake, sabhuku vake nembudzi nehuku dzekukusha kwavo zveeeese kuchitokisi for life!!
Cde Mhofu Musiyamwa kkkkkk life sentence
That guy is lucky he isn’t African, he could have been sentenced to life inprisonment or worse
He would spend the next 18 months on remand then get 10yrs in Zim🤣🤣
Akajairira uyo ,kukwatura president
Ku zim ainyangarika sezvakaita Itayi Dzamara
Dai manga murimuno aigurwa musoro!
Asi hakuna treason? Subverting a constitutionally elected gvt?
Inga zvavo vane mukana wekukwapaidza mukuru wenyika. Lol
He could be dead by now if it was Africa
Zvake…
Kkkk haa muno aifiramo
akajairira mhata uyo. unoda kupondesa dzinza rese.
Emmanuel Macron has always been the convener of the ‘freedom of expression’ and the man had just practiced his, so why punishing him over his right? # Presidential slap #
Itai dzamara here hold a chi card chakanzi pres Mugabe must resign then he is no were to b found since then aka disappear #im thinking kuti ukazorova president mbama unoitwa cey then
Here in Zim they make vanish like vanishing cream in a broad daylight
In Zimbabwe you will never hear about him again
In Africa thats treason. Punished by death.
If it was in Zim he could have been given death sentence
In Africa he could be dead by now 😂
Imagine the noise that case could have generated if that man could have been jailed even for two days in Zimbabwe. That case could have been all over the world.
Gift Jawanda in Zim they kill you
Gift Jawanda the man would actually have been very fortunate to live long enough to be taken to court.
Gift Jawanda ibvapo iwe, Washaya nyaya
saskam
Terrence Zimidzi problem munorwadziwa nechokwadi ,
Gift Jawanda if it was in Zim he would be dead long time ago
Just saying ED z a sh*t u a undermining the authority of the president two years remand n custody then a 10 year sentence or life n prison..
He wouldn’t have faced jail sentence in Zim anyway. His family would have been looking for his whereabouts, state media will claim “he jumped the boarder to Mozambique”.
In Zim he would become an example Idi Amin style remember has got all the tactics of running dictatorship and not democracy