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- Kathryn Armstrong
- BBC news
Macron removes luxury watch during interview
French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticized for removing his luxury watch during an interview about changing his pension.
France has seen protests and strikes over President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
A representative for Mr Macron said the president had removed the watch because it was “ticking”.
However, his critics claim the watch shows he’s out of touch with the public.
Some falsely claimed it was worth €80,000 ($86,000; £70,000), but the Elysée Palace said this was not true.
A thud was heard as he placed his forearm on the table.
The President put his hands under the table as he continued to speak. The watches had been removed when he put them back on.
His team argued that the dismissal was completely innocent. However, the lost watch soon caught the attention of his critics.
French President Emmanuel Macron removed his watch during an interview about controversial pension changes.
Clemence Guéthet, a lawmaker for the left-wing opposition La France Ansoumis, has joined a protest against pension reform.
She tweeted that the “final image” was of him “taking off his rather expensive watch” as the president claimed that minimum wage workers had unprecedented purchasing power. .
“No wealthy president has ever worn his name so well,” said her colleague Farida Amrani.
The watch’s exact price has been debated online, with some of Macron’s critics suggesting it’s worth €80,000.
However, the Elysée Palace told French media that the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model personalized with the coat of arms.
Online prices for this watch range from €1,660 to €3,300 (£1,460 to £2,900) without personalization.
“He’s been wearing it very regularly for over a year and a half,” the palace added in a statement.
Macron has long been accused by political opponents of supporting the wealthy.
In February, he came under attack for giving Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, the highest honor in France.
Ironically, Mr. Macron called himself “The Master of Watches” because he liked to set the pace of French politics.
He argues that the retirement age change is “necessary” to keep the pension budget from going into the red.
His government last week decided to use special constitutional powers to force reforms without a vote after realizing it would struggle to pass through the National Assembly. It sparked a vote of confidence and the government survived it.
The controversy has renewed unrest across the country that began in January when the plans were announced.
Alongside the protests were widespread strikes involving transport workers, teachers, garbage collectors and oil refinery workers.
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