French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Paris on 17/4 for a conference. The meeting focused on implementing a multinational force to ensure freedom of navigation in the Hormuz Strait. Nearly 30 other national leaders attended the conference virtually.
One of the most notable moments at the event was President Macron's greeting of Prime Minister Meloni. A video of the interaction between the two leaders quickly went viral on social media, garnering millions of views.
As Meloni stepped out of her car, Macron approached, proactively embraced her, and kissed her on both cheeks, a traditional French greeting. However, Meloni appeared surprised by Macron's warmth, even leaning away as if to avoid it.
Social media users had mixed reactions to the moment. Some described it as awkward for Meloni, while others considered it a normal interaction between the two leaders.
"There's nothing awkward about it. He said something funny, and she reacted. That's all", one account commented.
"He seemed very happy to meet the Italian prime minister, and perhaps they were joking", another account wrote.
President Macron and the Italian prime minister had a disagreement in February concerning a deadly incident in France.
Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old French citizen, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least 6 people on the sidelines of a far-right protest at a university in Lyon. Most of the 11 suspects arrested belonged to far-left movements.
The Italian prime minister described Deranque's death as "a wound for all of Europe". The French president immediately retorted, "let everyone mind their own business", and urged Meloni to "stop commenting on what's happening in other countries".
Last July, Meloni and Macron also had a notable moment at the G7 summit in Canada. A video from the event showed the Italian prime minister leaning towards the French president to hear him say something. Meloni then widened her eyes, showing surprise, which led to much speculation about Macron's words. The two leaders later did not disclose the content of their conversation.
Ngoc Anh (According to Wionews, Newsx, Nexta)
