Teddy Riner denies Macron support, denounces a poisoned kiss
At the Made in France trade show, Teddy Riner denied being a Macron supporter and likened Macron's congratulations on his candidacy to a poisoned kiss.
Pierre-Louis Crescitz
france, teddy riner, macron le, emmanuel macron, etat, félicitations, macroniste, empoisonné
Key facts
Arriving at the show surrounded by a cohort of journalists, the judoka thus places, from the very first days after his announcement, his distance…
Teddy Riner, five-time Olympic judo champion, rejects the Macronist label. On November 14, 2026, at the Made in France show in Paris, he told the…
This clarification follows Monday's announcement of his candidacy for the Élysée, which came as a surprise. The judoka does not want to be equated…
Arriving at the show surrounded by a cohort of journalists, the judoka thus places, from the very first days after his announcement, his distance from Emmanuel Macron at the center of his statements.
Teddy Riner, five-time Olympic judo champion, rejects the Macronist label. On November 14, 2026, at the Made in France show in Paris, he told the press, according to AFP:"I am not the president's envoy. I am not a Macronist.".
This clarification follows Monday's announcement of his candidacy for the Élysée, which came as a surprise. The judoka does not want to be equated with the outgoing president, Emmanuel Macron.
Dig deeper
Who is Teddy Riner?
A French judoka, five-time Olympic champion and a very well-known figure in sport, he has just announced his candidacy for the presidency and is seeking to set himself apart from Emmanuel Macron.
Who is Emmanuel Macron?
The outgoing President of the Republic, he has been in power since 2017; Riner refuses to be presented as his political successor.
What does it mean to be a "Macronist"?
It means supporting Emmanuel Macron's political line; Riner rejects this label so as not to appear as the president's envoy.
What is the Élysée?
It is the seat of the presidency of the French Republic; running for the Élysée means seeking the office of head of state.
What is the Made in France show?
It is a Paris trade show devoted to products made in France, the venue chosen by Riner to publicly assert his distance from Macron.
Why does this clarification matter?
His surprise candidacy for the Élysée risks being read as an extension of the outgoing administration; he is therefore placing his independence at the center of the message from the outset.