French President Emmanuel Macron appeared today in an unusual appearance during a meeting with French soldiers at the Istres air base in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, BFM TV and “Paris Match“ report.
Macron arrived there wearing sunglasses resembling those of Tom Cruise from cult films with his participation. But when he took off his glasses in front of the soldiers, it was clear that Macron did not want to pay tribute to the actor in this way, nor to imitate him. The president's right eye was slightly closed, red and with a hemorrhage inside.
Macron reassured the soldiers that there was nothing unusual in his appearance. And then he jokingly said that his strange eye at the beginning of the new year was a reference to the tiger's eye - a mineral with "tiger stripes", which in ancient Rome was considered an amulet for the military, because it drove away their enemies. According to other beliefs, the tiger's eye cured the sick. In Asia, this mineral is perceived as a source of success in any endeavor. Tiger's eye has been used since ancient times in various jewelry.
The President of France joked that the fact that his red eye resembles a tiger's eye right at the beginning of the year is a sign of determination in the face of obstacles that must be overcome. The military was obviously amused by this explanation. The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, who accompanied Macron, also laughed.
However, joking claims appeared on the Internet that the president was hit by his wife. Last year, at the beginning of a visit to Vietnam, journalists caught Brigitte Macron making a gesture towards the president that they interpreted as a slap, and this sparked a long-running debate in the media and on social media.