Emmanuel Macron's gone viral for reasons he may not have expected after he wore reflective aviator sunglasses at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The French president sported the specs to not let his bloodshot eye dominate the headlines but did the prop choice backfire?
In politics, authority must be shown and manifested if it is to be believed, and the role of symbolism, or even staging, can not be a gimmick. Unless, perhaps, if you're Donald Trump.
In the age of social media, an image can stir emotions much faster than words and the sight of the French President sporting reflective aviator sunglasses while speaking to the World Economic Forum at the Davos literally went around the planet in seconds.
Whatever words came out of his mouth were secondary for many who wondered 'why on earth is he wearing dark glasses indoors?' Had he fooling around and "slapped" again by Brigitte? Or had he perhaps taken a blow in the boxing ring? As we've seen Macron does like to show off his physical strength.
It's unclear what caused the president's burst blood vessel, but talk of it certainly matched, if not overshadowed, his speech, incredibly at a time when the leader of the Free World is threatening to annex Greenland, asphyxiate French winegrowers, and leaking personal text messages from his counterparts.
According to French media, Macron may have a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage, which is the bursting of a blood vessel in the protective tissue covering the eye.
This can occur when someone sneezes or coughs intensely, or if they poke or rub their eye. People with diabetes and high blood pressure may be more at risk of experiencing it.
In an address that has gone viral, Macron denounced a_"world without rules_" and an_"endless accumulation of new customs duties_", saying he preferred_"respect rather than bullies_", and called on Europe not to give in to the law of the strongest; all without ever mentioning the name of Donald Trump, who will be at Davos on Wednesday.
But as his message filtered through the room, outside the world were focussed on why he was wearing the aviators indoors. For much of the French public, there was no mystery as he wore them after meeting French air forces last week a visit during which his eye condition could be clearly seen, if you excuse the pun.
'Eye of the tiger'
“Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye,” Macron said at the beginning of his speech. “It is, of course, something completely harmless.”
“Simply see an unintentional reference to the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ... For those who catch the reference, it is a sign of determination,” he joked, in an apparent reference to the name of the hit theme song by American rock band Survivor from the 1982 Rocky III movie starring Sylvester Stallone.
A spokesperson at the Elysee told Euronews that the "president is wearing glasses due to photosensitivity, until the minor issue mentioned last week resolves itself."
On X, while many have hailed it as a_"powerful rebuke_" against Trump, talking of a_"carton_" - French for an enormous success; and multiplying the emojis glasses-European flag-French flag. Others have opted for humour or satire, referring to glasses that are_"half Top Gun, half Joe Biden_", and wondering whether the President will keep them on until the end of his term.
Some have even drawn parallels with the injury suffered by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In early September 2023, he fell while jogging and shared a photo of himself wearing a black eye patch, joking that he was looking forward to the reactions of internet users and that_"it looked worse than it was_".
In his speech at Davos on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump mocked Macron's aviator shades, asking "What the hell happened?"
Made in France
While Joe Biden opted for Ray-Bans, Macron picked a model much closer to home that showcases French craftsmanship. Contacted by Euronews, Maison Henry Jullien, a historic luxury eyewear brand founded in 1921, confirmed the president has been wearing its Pacific S 01 Double Or Palladium, created in 2017.
Available in three colours – grey, blue and brown – the model is currently priced at €659. Since this morning, after the news began to circulate in the media and on social networks, the manufacturer's website has been experiencing disruptions due to exceptional traffic.
Based in Lons-le-Saunier, in the Jura region, the eyewear manufacturer passed under Italian ownership in 2023. However, ten employees still work in France, where the entire "gold doubled" collection is designed and produced, a rare technique that fuses gold and the base metal, for about a thousand pieces per year.
Stefano Fulchir, CEO of Henry Jullien, told Euronews the French presidency contacted the company in 2024. Before placing an order he held a "one-hour interview" to assure the Elysee that this production was indeed "100% French".
"It's finally the first time we've seen him wear them," said Fulchir, referring to Macron's appearance at Davos.
According to the CNRTL (National Centre for Textual and Lexical Resources), a scientific and collaborative resource, one of the meanings of the term "accessory" relates to its theatrical use: "Objects necessary for the performance or the stage".
In Davos, while the circumstances demand seriousness and substance, Macron's glasses have become a political "accessory" in their own right.
