Stylized 3D animated-movie dramatization of the character walking before European Union flags — AI-generated dramatization art — not a historical depiction.

Sayings

Twelve verified quotations — verbatim, each with its venue and date.

“Make our planet great again.”

Televised address responding to the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, 1 June 2017. Source: contemporaneous broadcast and press reporting (e.g., NPR affiliates).

“What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO.”

Interview with The Economist, published 7 November 2019. Source: The Economist; widely reproduced by Reuters and others.

“Nous sommes en guerre.”

(“We are at war.”) Televised address announcing the COVID-19 lockdown, 16 March 2020. Source: Élysée broadcast; transcript excerpts reproduced in academic analyses of the speech.

“Our Europe today is mortal. It can die and that depends solely on our choices.”

Sorbonne speech on Europe, 25 April 2024. Source: Élysée text and international press coverage. (Translation wording varies slightly across outlets; this is the commonly cited English rendering.)

“Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world today.”

Speech in Les Mureaux on separatism, 2 October 2020. Source: Élysée text; international press coverage.

“I want France to be a start-up nation.”

VivaTech, Paris, 15 June 2017. Source: contemporaneous press coverage of the VivaTech address.

“France is back.”

World Economic Forum, Davos, 24 January 2018. Source: contemporaneous press coverage of the Davos address.

“There is no French culture. There is a culture in France, and it is diverse.”

Lyon campaign event, 4 February 2017. Source: contemporaneous French press coverage of the Lyon remarks.

“On met un pognon de dingue dans les minima sociaux.”

(“We spend a crazy amount of money on minimum social benefits.”) Recorded remarks, 12 June 2018. Source: widely circulated video; reported across French media. (Included as reported; consult the video record for exact context.)

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism.”

Armistice centenary ceremony, Paris, 11 November 2018. Source: contemporaneous international press coverage.

“We must build a stronger and more sovereign Europe.”

Sorbonne speech on European sovereignty, 26 September 2017. Source: Élysée transcript (PDF) and press coverage. (Paraphrase-adjacent short formulations circulate; the speech’s call for European sovereignty is the documented core.)

“I will be the president of all the French people.”

Victory speech at the Louvre, Paris, 7 May 2017. Source: contemporaneous broadcast and press coverage.

Every quotation above is presented only where a venue and date could be established. Paraphrase is never presented as quotation. See methodology.

Source notes

Venues and dates were cross-checked against Élysée publications, The Economist, and contemporaneous international reporting (Reuters, NPR affiliates, AP-derived coverage) listed on the sources page.