Teddy Riner rejects Macron backing as he launches French presidential bid

A surprise bid

Teddy Riner, the 37-year-old judo champion with five Olympic gold medals and more than 3.3 million followers on his social media accounts, has announced a bid for the French presidency. The AP describes it as potentially his toughest contest yet, since celebrities have rarely won elected office in France. Two-time Olympic champions David Douillet and Jean-François Lamour, and Guy Drut, won seats in parliament in retirement and served as sports ministers. Riner would be the first celebrity to hold France's top office since World War II hero Gen. Charles de Gaulle, according to the AP.

Macron's welcome

On Monday, 9 November, President Emmanuel Macron said he was very happy that a great champion like Riner was standing, and that his candidacy could only benefit the country. Riner rejected the framing on Saturday, 14 November, during a visit to the Made in France trade fair at Porte de Versailles in Paris. Speaking to a crowd of journalists, he said he was not a Macronist and described Macron's congratulations as a 'poisoned chalice'. It was his second trip since the surprise announcement.

“I am not a Macronist.”

Hurdles on the ballot

To appear on the first-round ballot in April, Riner needs at least 500 elected officials to sponsor his candidacy. The requirement has applied since the 1981 election and was one of the barriers that blocked a presidential bid by the comedian Coluche that year. François Hourmant, a political science professor at Angers University who has studied celebrity culture in French and North American politics, said the system is hard to enter for outsiders. The rule is seen as a sign that France treats running the country as serious business.

“In France, there are complex hurdles to entry for people who don't come from the establishment.”

First campaign stops

On Friday, 13 November, Riner made his first campaign stop at a hospital in the northern suburbs of Paris, where a crowd of cameras greeted him. He appeared in a dark suit and open-neck shirt, and the AP wrote that the turnout showed the star power he brings to the race. The following day he was back in the capital at the Made in France fair.