Says Emmanuel Macron said, “I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated.”
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An Italian journalist’s comments have been misattributed to French President Emmanuel Macron
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- An Italian journalist, commenting on France’s COVID-19 restrictions, made this statement that has since been misattributed to the French president.
After Emmanual Macron announced that residents would face restrictions if they remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, a forceful statement attributed to the French president started to spread among people supportive of the country’s action.
"I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated," he said to "anti-vaxxers," according to a quote shared on Instagram. "This time you stay home, not us."
The post also quotes Macron as saying, "We cannot make those who have the civic sense to get vaccinated bear the burden of inconvenience," and "the restrictions will weigh on others, those who for reasons incomprehensible in the country of Louis Pasteur, science and the Enlightenment still hesitate to use the only weapon available against the pandemic, the vaccine."
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As Alex Hern, a technology editor at the Guardian, pointed out on July 21, Macron doesn’t have adolescent daughters. He has no biological children. His wife, Brigitte Macron, has three children from another marriage — including one son — and they’re all in their 30s and 40s.
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Italian journalist Selvaggia Lucarelli tweeted at Hern that the statement originated with her.
"I confirm those were my words," she wrote on July 21. She linked to the original post on her Facebook page.
The July 13 Facebook post, translated to English from Italian, wrote: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, time, freedom and adolescence of my son as well as his right to study properly, for anyone who refuses to vaccinate themselves. This time you’re staying home to yourself, not us."
She also posted it on Instagram.
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In both posts Lucarelli quotes Macron making the second two statements that appear in the Instagram post misattributing her own words to the French president.
He did describe France as a country of science, Enlightenment and Louis Pasteur, though the exact translation appears differently online depending on the source.
But he didn’t make the other statement that is spreading on social media.
We rate that False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, July 25, 2021
PolitiFact, This is a photo of a World Cup celebration in France, not an anti-vaccine protest, July 21, 2021
Alex Hern tweet, July 21, 2021
The New Yorker, Emmanuel Macron and the modern family, May 5, 2017
Daily Mail, French First Lady Brigitte Macron’s first husband - who she eventually left after falling for the future president when he was 15 - is revealed to have died a recluse aged 69, Oct. 7, 2020
Selvaggia Lucarelli tweet, July 21, 2021
Selvaggia Lucarelli tweet, July 21, 2021
Selvaggia Lucarelli Facebook post, July 13, 2021
Selvaggia Lucarelli Instagram post, July 13, 2021
NPR, People will soon need a vaccine pass or negative test to enter France’s restaurants, July 16, 2021
Financial Times, Macron makes vaccines compulsory for care workers, July 12, 2021
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An Italian journalist’s comments have been misattributed to French President Emmanuel Macron
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