Calls for Macron's impeachment grow amid controversy over Durov's arrest

France is facing increasing calls for President Emmanuel Macron’s impeachment in connection with the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

Florian Philippot, leader of the Patriots party, raised this issue on his social media account X (formerly Twitter), Caliber.Az reports.

Philippot questioned whether Macron had Durov jailed due to concerns about what the Telegram CEO might know, suggesting that Macron's recent reaction on X indicates panic.

Un peu comme Sarkozy a fait bombarder la Libye et tuer Kadhafi qui savait beaucoup de choses,#Macron a-t-il fait jeter en prison Pavel #Durov PDG de Telegram parce qu’il sait beaucoup de choses ? ⤵️

En effet la réaction étonnante de Macron sur son compte X hier révèle une… pic.twitter.com/eL1X85WfwB

— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) August 28, 2024

"Did Macron order Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, to be thrown in jail because he knows a lot of things? Indeed, Macron's startling reaction on his X account yesterday betrays his panic. (...) Macron should be impeached!" Philippot asserted, accusing the president of using such actions to distract from his government's issues and personal vested interests.

In a related development, France’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party is planning a major demonstration on September 7 in response to Macron's delay in forming a new government. The protest, organized jointly with youth groups, is a reaction to Macron's perceived undermining of democracy by not honouring the election results. 

The LFI, part of the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, had a notable victory in the July 7 parliamentary elections and had proposed Lucie Castets as the new prime minister.