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I will not let anyone say that France, in its history, was complicit in the Holocaust. *Not one single* French official took part.

Emmanuel Macron

Controversial remarks on Vichy France’s role in WWII, July 2017 (later clarified). · Gecheckt op 1 maart 2026
I will not let anyone say that France, in its history, was complicit in the Holocaust. *Not one single* French official took part.

Analyse

In July 2017 Macron’s remarks about Vichy France were widely reported, but he never claimed that "not one single French official took part" in the Holocaust. He said that the Vichy regime was a "state within a state" and that responsibility for the Holocaust lay primarily with the Nazi occupiers, while also acknowledging French collaboration. He later clarified his comments, emphasizing that France’s role was more complex than his earlier wording suggested. The specific quote attributed to him is a distortion of his actual statements.

Achtergrond

During a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the Vel' d'Hiv roundup, Macron faced criticism for comments that seemed to downplay French collaboration with Nazi Germany. He subsequently clarified that his intent was to highlight the Nazi’s primary responsibility while still recognizing the Vichy government's complicity. The misquoted statement has been circulated on social media without supporting evidence.

Samenvatting verdict

Macron never said that no French official took part in the Holocaust.

Geraadpleegde bronnen

— https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-macron-holocaust-idUSKCN1C81VJ
— https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40636599
— https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2017/07/05/macron-clarifie-ses-commentaires-sur-le-vel-d-hiv_5163985_823448.html