Hitting wrong notes

Betty Henderson

THE French President, Emmanuel Macron, is no stranger to controversy. He has been facing intense backlash from the public over his plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.

Seeking to escape the heat, Macron was caught on camera singing a street song with a group of young Parisians in a video recorded on Monday,

April 17. However, the video went viral for all the wrong reasons.

The group of men that the president sang with was reportedly part of a Parisian choir that sings traditional songs on the street. One of the singers asked Macron to join in a rendition of an old song called ‘Le Refuge’, which he had sung on a trip to the Pyrenees last year. However, the song was then shared by a Facebook group reportedly set up by the far right.

The situation has only added to the negative public perception of Macron, with residents and protesters booing him on the streets during his recent visit to the eastern region of Alsace. Despite the backlash, the president has now signed the deeply unpopular reforms into law.