00:03You're watching Euronews' fact-checking show The Cube.
00:06European politicians are increasingly warning of heightened Russian attacks against the bloc.
00:12Russia is planning more sabotage act.
00:13Russian hybrid war is kinetic.
00:16The dangers Russia poses are clear.
00:19French President Emmanuel Macron has echoed these warnings, saying the Russian threat against France has also intensified.
00:26But a slew of social media accounts have alleged that he is bigging up the threat for his own personal
00:32gain,
00:32namely to put France at war with Russia and thereby postpone or cancel next year's presidential elections so he can
00:40continue past his two consecutive terms.
00:43Now, some social media accounts claim Macron will activate Article 16 of the French Constitution,
00:49granting him exceptional emergency powers during a severe national crisis.
00:53However, we spoke to experts who said that these theories are false.
00:59Firstly, the President cannot declare war on a country, according to Article 35 of the Constitution.
01:05Only Parliament can authorize an armed intervention by French armed forces.
01:12The government has to present that to Parliament.
01:16So it's not the decision formally of the President of the Republic, but that of the government.
01:19Even if France is attacked, postponing the elections would be difficult.
01:24Again, because of the Constitution.
01:26It clearly establishes a calendar.
01:28A new President must be elected 35 days before or a maximum of 25 days after the mandate of the
01:35current leader ends.
01:36Elections can only be postponed if a candidate dies or is incapacitated.
01:40Even if Article 16 were activated, the main argument behind these theories,
01:46the President can only take legislative and administrative measures, but not constitutional ones,
01:52making it even less likely that Macron would move the elections.
