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The official photographer of French President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media moody black and white photos of the French President pounding a punching bag with boxing gloves with his teeth clenched, furrowed brows and bulging biceps.
Macron’s photos come amid his drive to toughen up the region’s response to Russia’s so-called military operation in Ukraine.
However, the photos received a mixed response. Some said the 46-year-old world leader looked like a “warrior” and likened him to movie heroes like Rocky Balboa and Robert DeNiro’s character in “Raging Bull”.
In the UK, news outlets were not so kind. “Macron: Le grand narcissist,” groused the Daily Mail. And Daniel Johnson in the Telegraph called him “a prancing poseur”: “Past presidents like Resistance hero General de Gaulle felt no need to show off”.
The French President’s office said it will not comment on the pictures, but many on social media interpreted the images as indicative of his push for other Western nations to take a firmer stance in support of Ukraine as the conflict extends into its third year. In the previous month, he suggested that the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine was not off the table, sparking criticism from fellow leaders.
IS TOUGHNESS A POLITICAL TOOL
Leaders using visuals to display toughness, virility and strength is not uncommon in politics as evidenced by photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin where he is pictured shirtless on a horse and practising judo.
The United States had cowboys Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, ranch owners in California and Texas respectively, who were widely photographed wearing cowboy hats and boots and sometimes riding horses.
Public displays of leadership don’t always go smoothly. During a 2019 event in Scotland, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struggled to control a live bull, which ended up bumping into a police officer. In another incident in Japan, Johnson accidentally knocked over a 10-year-old while playing street rugby with children.
Meanwhile, French President Macron was involved in a memorable handshake standoff with former President Donald Trump in Brussels in 2017. The two leaders locked eyes and held onto each other’s hands tightly, with Trump appearing uncomfortable and ready to pull away. However, Macron maintained his grip for a few more seconds, resulting in a tense moment captured by photographers.
Media-Savvy Macron
Macron is well aware of the power of visual content to convey messages. He is also the first French president to extensively use social media.
His official photographer, Soizig de la Moissonnière, documents his public and private daily life through photos posted on her Instagram account, with about 216,000 followers, including the ones of Macron boxing, muscles bulging through a black shirt. Macron once said he was personally approving the photos to be posted there.
Valerie Doustaly, a Paris-based image consultant, said Thursday’s photos appeared aimed at communicating a feeling about Macron’s “lifestyle and personal life, which is increasingly important for any profession, even for the role of a president.”
“There is a clear strategy to show the health, youth and strength of someone who chooses boxing as a sport,” Doustaly said. “President Macron takes care of his image with perseverance, he always takes care of his look, his evolving hairstyle, and now surprises us with a T-shirt that shows his flexed biceps.”
Since Macron was elected in 2017, he has seized many occasions to show his athletic skills. He has held multiple events meant to promote the Paris Olympics and last year described sports as conveying “values of respect, effort, equality, healthy living, surpassing oneself.” Last month, Macron promised to swim in the River Seine, which is being cleaned up for the Paris Olympics later this year.
(with inputs from the Associated Press)
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