French President Emmanuel Macron drew attention when he took the stage at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on 20/1, wearing aviator-style sunglasses with reflective blue lenses. The image quickly circulated across media and social networks, but this appeared to be more than just a fashion choice for the French leader.

A few days before the event in Switzerland, during a New Year's address to armed forces members at the Istres air base in southern France, Macron's right eye showed symptoms of redness and swelling.

President Macron wore aviator-style sunglasses while speaking at the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on 20/1. *AP*

He apologized for appearing "less than aesthetically pleasing", but affirmed that his medical condition was "completely harmless". He also joked that people should see it as a "tiger eye" demonstrating determination.

Before traveling to Davos, Macron also wore sunglasses at the Elysee Palace in Paris during a meeting concerning the French territory of New Caledonia in the Pacific, where he signed the Elysee-Oudinot Agreement, a constitutional and financial accord for the region.

During his speech and discussion session at Davos, President Macron did not mention his eye issue or the sunglasses. Instead, he focused on responding to tariff threats from US President Donald Trump targeting eight European nations that opposed the US plan to acquire Greenland.

Macron's right eye was red and swollen when he attended an event at an air base in southern France on 15/1. *AP*

Macron stated that without governance and cooperation, the world would descend into "unfettered competition". He also criticized certain trade agreements harming European exports, implicitly condemning Washington for "endlessly accumulating all kinds of new tariffs" at an unacceptable level.

The French president urged nations to respect each other and international law, rather than engaging in bullying behavior. In subsequent exchanges with the press, Macron affirmed he had no intention of speaking with Trump at Davos.

Tensions between Washington and Paris escalated this week when President Trump announced 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne. The US leader also posted screenshots of private messages between the two on Truth Social, in which Macron expressed concerns about Greenland and proposed arranging an informal G7 meeting in Paris.

By Thanh Danh (According to Newsweek, Local, National Post)