Macron answered questions from students in Cyprus on Thursday.Image: EPA AFP POOL
President Emmanuel Macron assured on Thursday that he no longer wants to get involved in politics when he leaves the Élysée Palace in 2027 after ten years at the helm of France.
April 23, 2026, 8:51 p.mApril 23, 2026, 9:41 p.m
“I have not been politically involved before and will not be politically involved afterward,” Macron said during a discussion with students at the French Cypriot school in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, where he was on an official visit ahead of an informal European summit, the AFP news agency reports.
Macron further explained that after nine years, the most difficult thing is to preserve what you have done well and develop. But you also have to think back about things you did wrong.
When asked when he wanted to become president, Macron said: “I have always loved my country and have always been interested in life in France, but that alone does not make you president.” He wanted to realize his ideas and change things faster and more effectively. That’s why I started a political movement and eventually became president.
It is a matter of the heart: “It’s about fighting for my country and our Europe, so that they can move forward, and defending values that I believe in.”
Macron faced several crises during his presidency. At the beginning he had to calm things down because of the yellow vest movement, and his pension reform also sparked massive protests. He preferred the parliamentary election in 2024. In 2025, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned before a government was even in place. (front)