A Wax Protest Against French-Russian Trade

A group of environmental activists made a bold move by taking a wax figure of French President Emmanuel Macron from a museum in Paris. They did this to send a strong message about France's ongoing business deals with Russia. These deals involve gas, chemical fertilizers, and nuclear power, which the activists argue are funding the war in Ukraine. The activists, part of Greenpeace France, entered the Grévin Museum with tickets. While one person kept the receptionist busy, the others quickly took the wax figure out through an emergency exit. The museum's director later received a call from Greenpeace, who promised to return the figure. The wax figure was later found outside the Russian Embassy in Paris, accompanied by several protesters. Greenpeace confirmed they would return it to the museum, but the timing was unclear. The museum estimated the figure's value at 40, 000 euros.

France, along with other European countries, has been trying to broker a ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. However, France is one of the main importers of liquefied natural gas from Russia. Since the invasion in 2022, Russia has earned over 883 billion euros from fossil fuel exports, with France contributing nearly 18 billion euros. Greenpeace France director Jean-Francois Julliard criticized this situation. He argued that France cannot support Ukraine while continuing to import large amounts of gas, chemical fertilizers, and uranium from Russia. The activists' action was a clear attempt to highlight this inconsistency and push for change. The museum's security was not alerted beforehand, and the activists ensured the operation was quick and non-confrontational. No arrests have been made, and the wax figure has not yet been recovered by the museum. The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of international diplomacy in the face of economic interests.

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