French judo champion Teddy Riner has announced he is running for president, positioning himself as neither right-wing nor left-wing.
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French judo star Teddy Riner has announced a bid for the French presidency.
The 37-year-old multiple Olympic champion made the announcement on social media, and in an interview with Le Parisien published Monday said he wants to be “neither right-wing nor left-wing.” He said he hopes to become a “president who brings people together.”
Asked whether the bid should be taken seriously, Riner said, “what would be irresponsible would be to remain silent and stand by as a spectator to what is happening in our country, and what has been happening for several years now.”
Riner pointed to social tensions in France and said he cannot accept that young people and older generations feel they are struggling to imagine a future. He also said he hears “the anger” coming from people who “no longer have any ambition or the desire to think big,” adding that France is missing “that ambition” and “that hope.”
Riner said he is aware of the country’s deep divisions. He said, “let’s not kid ourselves,” and added that he does not see a candidate offering a credible and fair vision to bring the French people together rather than dividing them. According to polls mentioned in the interview, nationalist Marine Le Pen is the front-runner ahead of hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The French presidential election is being held next year. The interview also referenced protest marches that have been drawing large crowds for weeks in Paris and elsewhere across France, as demonstrators demand higher wages and show support for the country’s student protest movement.
Riner said in September that he wants to end his career with a fourth individual Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. Asked by Le Parisien whether his presidential bid would mean giving up on the Olympics, he said no, adding: “Not if my duties as president allow it and the French people give me their blessing.”
The interview also noted that in September French authorities investigated online racial abuse aimed at Riner after he expressed concern about the rise of the far right. In an interview with French sports television show Stade 2, he said he was “freaked out” by the rise of extremism, saying “the far right” when asked whether he meant “on both sides.”
Asked about what his first international initiative would be if he is elected, Riner said he wants to ensure France works well with its allies and “commands greater respect,” adding with reference to a hoped-for meeting: “We’ll see who has the firmer handshake.”
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