A French 8-year-old insulted Macron on live radio: should parents worry?

Meet Marcel. He is 8, he has opinions, and he has no filter. At a protest in Paris on Saturday, he told a Franceinfo (France's public news broadcaster) reporter live on air that Macron is a jerk, "like all those lousy cops".

The clip spread across social media within hours. It is already being called cult.

What happened?

The presenter stepped in and reined in the remark on air. Still, some people loved the boy's blunt delivery, while others were outraged that a child was saying this on the radio.

Franceinfo's management then posted on X. It said it regretted that insulting words were spoken live by a child, and that even though the presenter corrected them, it should not have given a child the microphone. It added that instructions to that effect have been repeated.

Is it actually serious?

Child psychologist Agnès Verroust says to start by not reversing the roles. In her view, these are not Marcel's own words, but words he is repeating. Plenty of people insult Macron right now, she notes, and the sentence reflects the mood at home or in society in general rather than a political opinion he has formed.

She does see a bigger worry: it is a problem for society when even children feel caught up in a social malaise they should be spared from.

Child psychiatrist Claude Maillet agrees. At that age, he says, a child mirrors what he picks up around him, without an adult's ideological weight. Repeating shocking phrases is a well-worn way to get attention.

Verroust adds that at 3 you test swear words, but at 8 you should know they are swear words. And adults swear a lot, so is it surprising that children copy them? No, she says. Is it worrying? For adults, yes.

What should you do with a "Marcel" at home?

No panic and no blind punishment, says Maillet. He recommends teaching discernment. Telling a child "what you just said is silly" is far less harmful than "you are stupid, be quiet". The goal is to teach kids to criticise a behaviour or a remark without attacking the person.

Verroust's advice is simpler: don't swear if you don't want them to. Learning the difference between home, the playground and public space takes time, and it is a job for both family and school.