Macron: I prefer immigrants from Africa over ‘illegal Ukrainian gangs’
French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the right-wing magazine Valeurs actuelles that he is going to fight against parallel societies and illegal immigration to France, including Ukrainians, reports Deutsche Welle.
"I prefer legal immigrants from Guinea or Ivory Coast over illegal Ukrainian or Bulgarian gangs," said Macron.
The comment of the French President caused a scandal in France. Critics have accused Macron of playing along with right-wing supporters and trying to get the votes from Marine Le Pen in the upcoming 2022 presidential election.
French government stood up for Macron, noting the importance of addressing "all French citizens through all the media."
Earlier, Macron said that "Europe will disappear if it does not reconsider its strategy towards Russia." Before that, French President wrote a post in Russian, where he called Russia "a deeply European country."