French President defends 鈥榗ross the street鈥� job quip
French President Emmanuel Macron has defended his comments about how people can 鈥渏ust cross the street to get a job鈥�, when questioned by a father whose son has been looking for work for nine months.
Mr Macron came in for criticism late last year when he was reported as having said that it was easy to get a job in France, and that unemployed people simply needed to make the effort to 鈥渃ross the street鈥� to ask, especially for jobs in bars and restaurants.
But this week, during a visit to Bordeaux en route to Pessac (Gironde) as part of the national Grand D茅bat, the President in the street, saying that his son 鈥渨ho has a high school degree plus five years of further study鈥� has been 鈥渓ooking for work for nine months鈥�.
The man : 鈥淗ow could you say 鈥榶ou can just cross the street鈥� to find work?鈥�
Mr Macron and said it had been 鈥渢aken out of context鈥�; had only been meant to refer to streets in central Paris, and did not apply to everywhere in France.
He said: 鈥淚t depends where you live. The young man I said that to, he was in my garden [at the Elys茅e]. I said that in cafes and restaurants on the other side of the street - which is true - they are hiring. In [the Paris district of] Montparnasse, there are several. And that is true.
"But I did not say that in 鈥榓ll streets in France鈥�. I know the country well enough to know this is not the case.鈥�
The President added: 鈥淚 am not the person that people want to caricature me as. I always go towards people and as you can see, I speak very freely. We are in a society where comments can easily be taken out of context. It was five minutes of conversation that were taken out of context."
Mr Macron added that he 鈥渉oped that P么le Emploi (French job centre) would give job offers鈥� or 鈥渙ffers of training鈥� to the man鈥檚 son soon.
The specific comment about 鈥渃rossing the street鈥� was made on September 16 last year. During an event for the Journ茅es du Patrimoine at the Elys茅e Palace, President Macron spoke to a young jobseeker.
He said: 鈥淚f you are ready and motivated, in hospitality; cafes and restaurants - everywhere I go, they tell me they are looking for people [for work]. Every single one! Hotels, cafes, restaurants - I鈥檒l cross the street, I鈥檒l find you one.鈥�
