French president Emmanuel Macron slapped in face during visit to town

8 June 2021, 20:24

France Macron Slapped
France Macron Slapped. Picture: PA

Two people were reportedly detained following the incident at Tain-l’Hermitage.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face by a man during a visit to a small town in southeast France.

Mr Macron’s office on Tuesday confirmed a video that is widely circulating online.

The French president can be seen greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-l’Hermitage after he visited a high school that is training students to work in hotels and restaurants.

The video shows a man slapping Mr Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the man away as the French leader quickly leaves the scene.

French news broadcaster BFM TV said two people have been detained by police.

Mr Macron has not commented yet on the incident and continued his visit.

Speaking at the National Assembly, prime minister Jean Castex said “through the head of state, that’s democracy that has been targeted”, in comments prompting loud applause from politicians from all ranks, standing up in a show of support.

“Democracy is about debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case it can be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault,” Mr Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen firmly condemned on Twitter “the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic”.

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Mr Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was “deeply, deeply reprehensible”.

France Macron
Emmanuel Macron at the hospitality school in Tain-l’Hermitage (Philippe Desmazes/AP)

Less than one year before France’s next presidential election and as the country is gradually reopening its pandemic-hit economy, Mr Macron last week started a political “tour de France,” seeking to visit French regions in the coming months to “feel the pulse of the country”.

Mr Macron has said in an interview he wanted to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at “turning the page” of the pandemic and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

The attack follows mounting concerns in France about violence targeting elected officials, particularly after the often-violent “yellow vest” economic protest movement that repeatedly clashed with riot officers in 2019.

Village mayors and politicians have been among those targeted by physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But France’s well-protected head of state has been spared until now, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of the attack.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

American Easter egg

White House’s annual Easter egg roll to be attended by 40,000 people

Barbers in Paris

Proposal to ban discrimination over a person’s hair passes first legal hurdle

Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian Authority names new government following pressure to reform

Arvind Kejriwal

Opposition leader Kejriwal locked up for further four days, court rules

Resident clears rubble from home

Russia wears down Ukrainian defences with missile and drone attacks

Pope Francis

Pope urges priests to avoid ‘clerical hypocrisy’ in Maundy Thursday speech

Wagner mercenaries

Wagner mercenaries helping to kill civilians in Mali, say human rights groups

Rescuers searching through rubble

Paramedics among 16 people killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

Hairdressers in Paris

French legislators ponder law to ban discrimination based on a person’s hair

Australian products in Shanghai

China ends tariffs on Australian wine as relations between countries thaw

Soldiers in giant fuel tank

US military drains giant wartime fuel tanks which had poisoned water supply

Aiden Minnis (left) and Ben Stimson (right) joined the Russian military

British traitor fighting for Russia in Ukraine says he is 'prepared to die' for Putin after family 'disowns him'