Two members of the French Republican Guard fainted in the immediate vicinity of President Emmanuel Macron during the official reception of Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
The first guard saluted, began to stagger and fell in the vestibule of the presidential residence. He dropped his sword as he fell. Macron heard the noise, turned around and approached the soldier.
The guard, who had lost consciousness, was quickly carried away by staff members. Peter Pellegrini, who had got out of his car at that moment, waited at the steps until the situation was brought under control.
While the two presidents were greeting each other, a second guard fainted on the other side of the courtyard. He also dropped his sword. The footage shows journalists reacting to the unusual situation, after which Macron led his Slovak counterpart into the Élysée Palace.
French television channel BFMTV reported on the incident and broadcast footage from the ceremony. The reasons for the soldiers’ sudden fainting, as well as their current health condition, have not been reported.
The official reception of Peter Pellegrini continued after the brief interruption.
Sources: bta.bg