Iconic French film actress Brigitte Bardot has accused ecologists of being “impostors” while slamming French President Emmanuel Macron’s animal welfare record.
In an recent interview with French weekly magazine Le Point on August 16, Bardot took few prisoners and unleashed a furious barrage of broadsides, taking aim at politicians, feminists and other musicians.
As a renowned animal-rights activist, she branded the environmentalist movement “phonies” with little genuine commitment to ecological causes.
“Don’t talk to me about the ecologists! They are impostors from whom nothing should be expected,” she fumed.
She contended that climate activists have strayed far from authentic environmental concerns, accusing them of focusing on publicity stunts, causing chaos, engaging in acts of vandalism and indulging in political manoeuvring.
Bardot lamented that while such groups claim to champion issues such as nuclear power and cultural heritage preservation, they appear indifferent to the wellbeing of the planet and its animals.
Her criticism didn’t stop with ecologists; she also turned her guns on Macron, accusing him of being a “total failure” in addressing animal welfare concerns.
Reflecting on her meeting with Macron in 2018 as part of her animal-rights activities, Bardot said she first had a positive impression of his seriousness and engagement on issues they discussed.
Her enthusiasm waned as she highlighted what she said was his lack of substantial action on such matters. Specifically, she recounted her plea to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, only to be disappointed by Macron’s apparent ignorance of the issue.
Drawing a contrast, Bardot fondly recalled interactions with previous French presidents. She praised what she said was Valéry Giscard-d’Estaing’s accessibility and pragmatic approach to problem-solving while he was in office from 1974 to 1981, while playfully suggesting that Jacques Chirac’s “charming demeanour” might have concealed ulterior motives during his term as president from 1995 to 2007.
She retired from acting in 1973 to focus on animal-welfare activism, using her celebrity status to advocate for the rights and protection of animals. Over the years, she became a prominent voice in the movement.
Bardot also attracted controversy in her later life, having been fined many times for comments she made regarding Islam and immigration in France.
