FACT CHECK: Did Emmanuel Macron Say Unvaccinated People Need To Stay Home?

A post shared on Facebook claims French President Emmanuel Macron said, “This time you stay at home, not us” in reference to people who refuse to be vaccinated.

Verdict: False

There is no record of Macron making this statement.

Fact Check:

The French government recently announced that it would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all health care workers, according to Reuters. The government also set forth requirements that people would need passes documenting they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, recently tested negative for the virus or recovered from the illness in order to enter venues such as restaurants, bars and theaters, the outlet reported.

Now, an image on Facebook shows what appears to be a screen grab of a tweet seemingly quoting the French president. “I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated,” Macron purportedly said. “This time you stay at home, not us.”

There is, however, no record of Macron saying the quote attributed to him in the Facebook post. Check Your Fact reviewed a speech Macron gave on July 12, but found no mention of him saying people who refuse to be vaccinated should stay home. The supposed quote was not found on the Élysée Palace website either.

A search of Macron’s verified social media accounts likewise turned up no instances of the alleged quote. Furthermore, the French president has three adult stepchildren and no biological children of his own, The Sun reported in 2020. (RELATED: Does This Image Show A 2021 Protest Against France’s COVID-19 Measures?)

The misattribution may stem from confusion surrounding an Instagram post from Italian journalist Selvaggia Lucarelli. Lucarelli posted a picture of Macron and included a similar quote to the one erroneously attributed to Macron as the caption. The quote is not attributed to Macron in the post.

“I’m for the French line right now. I no longer have any intention whatsoever of sacrificing my life, my time, and my son’s adolescence, in addition to his right to study properly, for those who refuse to get vaccinated,” a translation of Lucarelli’s Instagram caption reads. “This time you stay home, not us.”