Pope, politics, and Paris: Macron’s role in succession raises eyebrows in Rome Le Figaro reveals

As the Vatican prepares for the conclave beginning May 7, political intrigue is unfolding not just within the Church, but on the international stage, with French President Emmanuel Macron at the centre of a storm stirred by the Italian right-wing press.

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, several publications aligned with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government have alleged that Macron is scheming to influence the outcome of the papal election, Caliber.Az reports, citing the latest piece French daily Le Figaro.

In their telling, the French president is not merely observing the succession process but actively manoeuvring to secure the elevation of his preferred candidates to the Chair of Saint Peter.

“Macron even wants to choose the pope,” thundered a headline in La Verità on Tuesday, April 29. The newspaper Libero echoed the alarm with the sensational claim, “Macron even crashes the conclave.” Meanwhile, Il Tempo, a conservative Roman daily, accused the French leader of “interventionism worthy of a modern Sun King.”

Behind the headlines lies a mix of long-standing Italian suspicion of French intentions, Macron's known ties to the influential Catholic movement Sant’Egidio—closely associated with the late pope—and the group’s increasing visibility during this period of Vatican transition.

The media uproar was triggered by two high-profile meals involving Macron. The first was a lunch on April 26 at the French Embassy to the Holy See, held shortly after Pope Francis’s funeral. The lunch brought Macron together with four of the five French cardinal electors:

• Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and widely regarded as a papabile (a viable candidate for the papacy);

• François Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio;

• Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States;

• Philippe Barbarin, the emeritus Archbishop of Lyon.

Italian media portrayed the gathering as a veiled campaign to secure a French pope.

The second meeting came the evening before, when Macron dined at Dal Bolognese, a high-end restaurant on Piazza del Popolo, with Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant’Egidio community. Macron’s long-standing relationship with Riccardi has only intensified speculation.

Sant’Egidio, founded in 1968 after the Second Vatican Council, now boasts over 70,000 lay members in 74 countries. It is active in humanitarian aid, international mediation, particularly in Africa, and diplomatic outreach. The movement has enjoyed a respected position under Pope Francis, becoming a key actor in the Holy See’s foreign relations.

Among its most prominent members is Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference. A confidant of the late pope, Zuppi has drawn clear lines between himself and Meloni’s government, advocating for migrants and opposing her proposed constitutional reforms. His progressive stance has reportedly made him a target of suspicion among Meloni loyalists, who now whisper that Zuppi, too, may be a candidate backed by Paris against Rome’s interests.

On April 30, the liberal daily Il Foglio dismissed the idea of a French plot, attributing the allegations to “anti-French sentiment within Meloni’s circle” and their preference for more conservative papal contenders.

A source from Sant’Egidio rebuked the rumours, calling them “unfounded shortcuts.” “Macron seeks to understand the process, not to influence it,” the source insisted. The French president’s October 2022 visit to Rome for a major peace summit, hosted by Sant’Egidio, was cited as evidence of his interest in dialogue rather than interference.

That visit happened to coincide with early elections in Italy. Giorgia Meloni had just won but had not yet assumed office. A hastily arranged meeting between Macron and Meloni took place in a Roman hotel, and the resulting official photo, showing an awkward handshake and visibly strained expressions, has since come to symbolise the tense relationship between the two leaders.

Since then, mutual distrust has lingered, and for some in Meloni’s camp, that rivalry now appears projected onto the inner workings of the Vatican.

By Tamilla Hasanova