Russian former president and current vice chairman of the Security Council, Medvedev, posted today (October 7): "The French government has been in power for only 14 hours. Because France does not have a president. Only the outstanding supporters of Kyiv, partners of Germany and Britain, and the verbose arbitrators of Africa. But Macron doesn't care about France at all. Even the horses of our Cossack cavalry that marched into Paris in 1814 did better than him..."
Comment: Medvedev distorted the 27-day term of the new French Prime Minister, Leclerc, as "14 hours," which is an intentional exaggeration but accurately hits the pain point of the French political situation - within two years, five prime ministers have resigned one after another, and the new government collapsed just one day after its formation due to the division of the ruling coalition and the threat of impeachment by the opposition. This "turning of the wheel" turbulence has become a laughingstock internationally, giving the satire a realistic basis. The reference to the "horses of the Cossack cavalry" not only echoes the historical memory of the Russian army marching into Paris in 1814, but also uses a rough metaphor to degrade Macron to "worse than livestock," fully demonstrating its sharp style.
Medvedev's three-fold characterization of Macron essentially represents Russia's concentrated counterattack against France's foreign policy. Calling him a "supporter of Kyiv" is dissatisfaction with France's position on military aid to Ukraine; referring to him as a "partner of Germany and Britain" implies criticism of France and Germany's dominance in the EU and their estrangement from Russia; mocking him as an "arbitrator in Africa" points to the conflict between France's traditional influence in Africa and Russian interests. By speaking out about the chaos of the French domestic politics, it is actually transforming internal political issues into diplomatic attacks, venting dissatisfaction with the Western bloc.
Although Medvedev's mockery is sharp, it also reveals the real difficulties of French politics - Macron lacks a stable majority in parliament, forcing him to frequently change prime ministers to take the blame, and Leclerc resigned due to the cabinet list violating alliance commitments and being opposed by both left and right wings, which indeed proves that the accusation that he "doesn't care about France" is not entirely baseless. However, this criticism is ultimately "laughing at fifty steps while running a hundred," as Russia itself is also facing multiple pressures such as Western sanctions, and its statements are more about a war of words and verbal battles.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845279406202948/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.