Emmanuel Macron pays a surprise visit to the controversial professor Raoult

Emmanuel Macron’s visit on Thursday to the controversial Marseille professor Didier Raoult, herald of the hydrochloroquine treatment against Covid-19, illustrates the president’s desire to consult in all directions before new decisions are made in the coronavirus crisis.

–

–

Become one of the most publicized personalities since the beginning of the epidemic, Didier Raoult welcomed in the middle of the afternoon the Head of State in his Hospital-University Institute (IHU) Méditerranée Infection.

In front of the gates of the establishment, police officers were deployed for this visit which had not been announced, while some Marseillais arrived in droppers to be tested for the virus. The crowds, however, had nothing to do with the long queues that could be seen in front of the IHU in recent weeks.

During the interview, Professor Raoult was to present to Emmanuel Macron the results of his studies which show, according to him, the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (derivative of chloroquine, a drug against malaria) from the appearance of first symptoms of coronavirus. Results of which a certain number of doctors and scientists question the scope.

All-round consultations

Emmanuel Macron has so far taken no position on this controversy, which also agitates public opinion and the political class. But, like the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, he has already met with Professor Raoult since the start of the crisis.

The move is part of a series of consultations led by the head of state to prepare the televised speech he plans to make Monday evening at 8:02 p.m., in particular to confirm the extension of the confinement.

The Elysée Palace explained on Wednesday that the president was going, before this meeting with the French, “to consult a large number of public and private actors, French, European and international, in order to exchange with them on the major issues relating to the Covid-19 and prepare the decisions that will be announced on Monday to the French ”.

“A strong act”

Emmanuel Macron carried out his first trip to the Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital (Val-de-Marne) on Thursday morning, also without a journalist, where he met with university hospital teams involved in clinical research on coronovarus.

For expert Frédéric Dabi, the meeting with Professor Raoult is “a strong act” which shows that Emmanuel Macron “consults everyone” and not just the members of the Scientific Council or CARE. It is both “a way of controlling the speech of Didier Raoult because he cannot say that he was not listened to” but also “a formidable legitimization of this researcher”, however controversial, specifies the director. deputy general of the Ifop polling institute.

– .