“French people are keen to take to the streets and to protest which is something in the French genes,” says French Ambassador to Ireland, Vincent Guérend.
Not for the first time – nor the last – France is having a debate about whether or not the mission statement of the French Revolution, “liberté, égalité, fraternité”, applies to all the country’s citizens.
Commenting on riots in France, the Ambassador said:
“These events were very distressing and shocking. The shooting of this young man was condemned and justice will be delivered. Also equally the completely disproportionate use of violence by mostly young people; I’m not putting it on the same level, but it was shocking too,” he said.
MrGuérendsaid the reasons for the riots earlier this year are complex and that all French citizens are endowed with equal rights and equal responsibilities. France is changing, he said. It is becoming a more multicultural society, not just in the sporting arena – the 1998 and 2018 World Cup winning team being cases in point – but in politics, media, cinema and music.
“The French face is much more diverse than it used to be 10 or 20 years ago,” he said. MrGuérendsaid the reasons for the recent riots are complex and that all French citizens are endowed with equal rights and equal responsibilities. France is changing, he said. It is becoming a more multicultural society, not just in the sporting arena – the 1998 and 2018 World Cup winning team being cases in point – but in politics, media, cinema and music. “The French face is much more diverse than it used to be 10 or 20 years ago,” he said.
(Irish Times)
French Ambassador Vincent Guérend addresses our gathering.
15th December, 2023.
French Ambassador Vincent Guérend with our President Richard Moore, 15th December 2023
David O’ Donoghue delivering words of thanks to our guest speaker, French Ambassador Vincent Guérend