On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his regret at what he described as “relatively timid international support” after the recent attacks in his country, reiterating that France will not “change” its right to freedom of expression.
“Five years ago, when they killed the people who were drawing caricatures (in the Charlie Hebdo newspaper), the whole world marched in Paris and defended these rights,” Macron said in an interview published by Le Grand Continent online.
“Now, we have a teacher who was slaughtered, many people who were slaughtered. But many messages of condolence were shy,” he added, referring to the killing of the French teacher Samuel Patty on October 16 and three people in Nice on the 29th of it.
Macron noted, “On the other hand, we have political and religious officials from a part of the Islamic world who have systematically said: They must change this right. This matter shocks me…etc. I respect cultures and civilizations, but I will not change my right because it causes shock abroad.”
