The French president joked about a “totally harmless” eye condition on Thursday during his New Year’s address to the French armed forces.
“I apologize for the ugly appearance of my eye,” Macron said at the start of his speech. “Of course, it’s completely harmless.”
🇫🇷⚡️ — French President Emmanuel Macron on his red eye:
Excuse me for the way my eye looks today. It is just a small accident.See it simply as an unintentional reference to the ‘eye of the tiger’ at the start of this year.
For those who get the reference, it is a sign of…
— Geo News 🇺🇲 (@Geo_News_Alert_)
Macron appeared with a swollen, red eye during his speech at the military base in Istres, southern France. Earlier he wore sunglasses during an outdoor troop review.
“Just see it as an unintentional reference to ‘Eye of the Tiger’ … For those who understand the reference, it’s a sign of determination,” he joked, in an apparent reference to the name of American rock band Survivor’s hit theme song from the 1982 film Rocky III starring Sylvester Stallone.
Macron’s speech touched on the key challenges for the military in 2026, from France’s accelerated rearmament and continued support for Ukraine to the decision to send troops to Greenland in support of Denmark.
