[Global Times Special Correspondent in France Shao Qi] French President Macron’s recent boxing photos have sparked heated discussions. According to the British "Guardian" report on March 21, Macron's official photographer Moissonnier posted two photos of Macron's boxing training

[Global Times Special Correspondent in France Shao Qi] A recent set of boxing photos taken by French President Macron triggered heated discussions. According to the British "Guardian" report on March 21, Macron's official photographer Moissonnier posted two photos of Macron's boxing training on Instagram on the 20th. The photos used black and white tones and recorded what Macron was wearing. Professional boxing gloves, clenched teeth, tense muscles, focused on hitting the sandbag.

The photo of Macron hitting a sandbag posted by Moissonnier, the official photographer of the French President, on Instagram

This photo of "showing manhood" caused widespread discussion on social media. Some netizens speculated that Macron was imitating the American movie character - the legendary boxing champion "Rocky". The British "Times" said that former Elysee Palace communications adviser Gaspard Ganzer said that from a public relations and aesthetic perspective, this group of photos was "interesting" and that Macron wanted to show that he was "in good health... Still a man full of energy and drive," and he's also "ready to fight."

This is not the first time Macron has worn boxing gloves in front of the camera. At the beginning of this year, on the 200-day countdown to the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, Macron posted a short video on his social account. He put his boxing gloves on his shoulders and encouraged the public to "exercise at least 30 minutes a day." According to a previous report by Paris Match, Macron is a frequent visitor to the boxing club. He usually maintains a frequency of "twice a week" for "45 minutes of boxing training, warm-up, and core strength exercises."

Ganzer said that many French men agree with the president's "body worship" concept. "They go to the gym and sometimes have plastic surgery. Boys like to show off their strong arms and muscles in the gym."

However, there are also some French netizens believe that Macron's muscles in the photo are "a bit fake" and question the photographer's use of photo editing software to make his muscles more three-dimensional in order to create a strong image for the audience. Someone else shared a previous photo of Macron saying "his biceps weren't that big."

Because Macron had previously made tough remarks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, many French media believed that these photos were "provocative". France News Network commented that this kind of photos showing muscles are easily reminiscent of the recently re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also often posts photos showing his tough guy image and athletic ability. Some netizens joked: "This is a rare photo of Macron doing boxing training before facing Putin in Ukraine."

html On March 15, Macron said in an interview that perhaps at some point, it would be necessary to take ground military action in Ukraine , to counter the Russian army.

The French opposition party criticized the photos for highlighting Macron's "poor ability to express himself." The left-wing media "Liberation Daily" commented that people could easily mistake it for a "funny" photo generated by artificial intelligence. The photos were "quite depressing" and an expression of "masculinism and neo-populism". French Green Party MP Sandrine Rousseau criticized Macron's lack of political communication methods and accused Macron of "overuse of masculinity" in his political propaganda.

"The Times" stated that Macron hopes to enhance his reputation through this Instagram account and no longer be regarded as just an "indifferent intellectual" by the public. During the 2022 French presidential election, the account posted photos of Macron with his collar open and his chest exposed. It also posted photos of Macron wearing a sweatshirt, which were used by netizens to compare with Ukrainian President Zelensky’s daily attire. Compare.