French President Macron's Encounter With Turkey's First Lady Goes Viral

French President Emmanuel Macron found himself in an awkward situation while greeting Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan during the NATO summit.

During the official welcoming ceremony, Macron approached the wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and attempted to kiss her hand as a gesture of respect. However, Turkey's first lady politely but firmly held the French president's wrist, preventing him from completing the gesture.

Another Publicly Discussed Greeting

The incident follows criticism surrounding Macron's meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Paris, where some observers described the greeting between the two leaders as overly warm.

Italian newspaper Il Manifesto argued that Macron's behavior could be interpreted as excessively informal, while describing the customary cheek kiss as inappropriate and even vulgar.

Previous Public Incidents Involving Macron

In May 2025, footage showing Macron being slapped by his wife, Brigitte Macron, as they were stepping off an aircraft in Vietnam attracted widespread attention online.

The French president later dismissed speculation, saying the couple had simply been joking and playfully teasing each other.

Social media users also focused on the appearance of the French president, pointing to burst blood vessels in one of his eyes and joking that he may have been a victim of domestic violence.

Paris Match journalist Florian Tardif claimed that Brigitte Macron had seen a message on her husband's phone from Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, with whom he allegedly maintained a platonic relationship for several months. According to the journalist, this prompted the slap.

Brigitte Macron denied that version of events, stating that she has never checked her husband's phone.

Macron and Merz Mistakenly Swapped Wives

Ahead of the G7 summit in Évian, another unusual moment attracted media attention. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron reportedly confused their wives during a photo opportunity, according to Stern.de.

The mix-up may have been caused by the similar outfits worn by Brigitte Macron and Charlotte Merz.

Videos showed Macron taking his wife's hand and guiding her toward him while the German chancellor's wife briefly stood in her place.

Munich Conference Incident

Another widely discussed moment occurred during the Munich Security Conference, according to Berliner Zeitung.

Video released in February showed Macron joining a press conference alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The French president appeared to attempt several times to greet Merz, who did not respond and seemed to ignore him.

Berliner Zeitung argued that the awkward exchange reflected broader tensions between Paris and Berlin.

"After three days in Munich, Europe appears disoriented. France looks like a 'lame duck,' while Germany lacks a clear plan. It is becoming increasingly difficult to continue acting as before," the newspaper wrote.

The publication also argued that Europe has increasingly found itself in a weaker international position in recent years, pointing to the conflict in Ukraine and declining public support for previous political approaches.

Protocol Questions During Visit to Oman

In June, former Egyptian Foreign Ministry aide Raha Ahmad commented on Macron's appearance during a meeting with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said.

The former diplomat questioned the French president's decision to wear sunglasses during the official meeting, saying the accessory fell outside normal diplomatic protocol.

"Macron does not normally wear prescription glasses, and he is rarely seen wearing sunglasses. Therefore, there must have been a very compelling reason for wearing them during the meeting with the Sultan of Oman," Ahmad said.

French Patriots party leader Florian Philippot has also repeatedly commented on Macron's appearance in sunglasses. At the end of June, he claimed that the French president was once again wearing dark glasses because of the earlier slap from his wife, Brigitte Macron. Philippot also remarked that the company that manufactured the sunglasses Macron wore in January had since gone bankrupt.