In a dramatic display of activism, Greenpeace protesters “borrowed” a wax statue of French President Emmanuel Macron from the Grévin Museum in central Paris and placed it outside the Russian embassy to protest continued business ties between France and Russia. The activists also criticized Macron’s climate policies, stating that he “does not deserve to be exhibited in this world-renowned cultural institution until he has terminated French contracts with Russia and initiated an ambitious and sustainable ecological transition across Europe.”
The statue was taken from the museum at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) on Monday and placed in front of banners decrying trade with Moscow in areas such as gas, nuclear power, and chemical fertilizers. One sign read “business is business” behind the statue, which depicts a smiling Macron clapping his hands. Another banner read “Ukraine is burning, business goes on.”
Greenpeace criticized Macron’s stance on nuclear power, with energy transition campaigner Roger Spautz saying, “Emmanuel Macron must abandon his nuclear revival. To persist on this path is to persist in a dangerous dependence on hostile regimes like Russia, and to continue financing the industry of a criminal regime.” Spautz added, “There is no sovereignty, no energy transition, and no peace possible with Vladimir Putin’s uranium. It is time to put an end to this double standard and turn the page on nuclear power, once and for all.”
The activists highlighted France’s significant imports of Russian fossil fuels, citing research from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) that France was the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels of any European Union country in January. Greenpeace condemned Macron’s “double-talk, which fails to do enough to end trade with Russia, even though he publicly displays strong support for Ukraine.” The group stated that this ambiguous stance “weakens France’s credibility on the international stage and fuels the Kremlin’s war chest.”
The current whereabouts of the statue and whether it will be returned to the museum are unclear. Newsmen has contacted Greenpeace for further details, and the Grévin Museum and Macron’s office have been contacted for comment.