‘Presidential hunts’ stopped by Sarkozy may be reinstated

EMMANUEL MACRON is calling for the tradition of “presidential hunts” to be revived, despite increasing support for a ban on hunting with hounds among the public and some of his own MPS.

“I will be the president who develops hunting,” Mr Macron told a recent meeting of the French Hunters’ Federation, adding that hunts were “a great asset for biodiversity”.

He said presidential hunting parties could be a diplomatic asset as visiting leaders could be invited to experience “a part of French culture”.

Former French presidents often invited visiting heads of state, political and business leaders to presidential hunts until they were abolished in 2010 under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy. The prestigious events, which derived from the royal hunts introduced by King François I in the 16th century, were held in the grounds of the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley and other stately homes.

Stag and deer hunting with hounds is flourishing in France, which has nearly 390 officially registered hunts, more than any other country. Their membership has doubled in 40 years to about 10,000.

A ban is unlikely despite a recent poll suggesting that 84 per cent of the public back a bill to outlaw it introduced by a far-left MP.

Until recently, the tradition faced little challenge from politicians or animal rights activists, but opposition rose following outrage over footage taken by activists that showed what many people saw as acts of cruelty.

In one incident, hunters chased a stag into a residential front garden and shot the exhausted animal while police looked on. In another, a deer was finished off with a knife after jumping into a river as it fled from hounds.