French President Emmanuel Macron has come into the spotlight again after he briefly halted proceedings during a session at the Africa-France Summit, becoming visibly frustrated over constant noise and chatter in the audience.
The incident took place in Nairobi, Kenya, during the “Africa Forward: Creation in Motion” session at the Africa-France Summit, which focused on culture and creative collaboration between Africa and France. As speakers attempted to address the gathering, background conversations inside the venue grew louder, prompting Macron to intervene and call for silence.
Interrupting the session, the French President criticised the audience for what he described as disrespectful behaviour towards the speakers. He stressed that it was impossible to hold a meaningful cultural discussion while people continued talking over the presentations.
“Excuse me, everybody! Hey! Hey! Hey! I'm sorry guys, but it's impossible to speak about culture, to have people like that, super inspired, coming here, making a speech, with such a noise. So, this is a total lack of respect,” Macron said while addressing the crowd.
He further urged attendees who wished to hold side conversations to leave the hall or use designated meeting rooms instead of disrupting the event.
“So I suggest, if you want to have bilaterals, or speak about something else, you have bilateral rooms, or you go outside. If you want to stay here, we listen to the people. And we play in the same game. OK? Thank you!,” he added.
Videos of the incident have been doing the rounds on the internet, with many users reacting to Macron’s sharp remarks and his insistence on maintaining decorum during the summit presentations.
