'It's Me, the Main Character': President Takes the Stage... Mocked as 'Trying to Act Tough,' But Popularity Soars [World Photo]

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French President Emmanuel Macron is attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20, 2026 (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

President Macron is arriving on January 22 (local time) to attend the EU summit held in Brussels. Photo by AP Yonhap News

French President Emmanuel Macron once again became the center of attention with an amusing incident. His appearance wearing sunglasses at the World Economic Forum (WEF, also known as the Davos Forum) in Switzerland was prominently covered by various media outlets, and the sunglasses he wore stirred up social networking services (SNS).

On January 20, 2026 (local time), President Macron took the stage at the Davos Forum wearing sunglasses. In his speech, he openly criticized President Trump, stating, "Imperialist ambitions are emerging around the world." This moment quickly spread online.

"Forget Granland, Macron's sunglasses have taken over Davos"

- The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)

The Wall Street Journal

His appearance wearing sunglasses made the front pages of major media outlets around the world. On January 22, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that President Macron, who appeared on stage wearing blue mirrored sunglasses, was the most talked-about figure at the Davos Forum.

"When Macron walked onto the stage wearing sunglasses, many people thought he was sending a message."

"A signal that it's time for someone in Europe to stand up to Trump's America."

AP Yonhap News

"Could Macron's sunglasses save the West?"

- The Telegraph (UK)

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"Trying to act tough"... Trump mocks again

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is making a gesture during his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland, on the 22nd (local time) (left). Emmanuel Macron, President of France, is arriving at the EU Summit held in Brussels and interviewing with the press. /AFP·AP Yonhap News

During the Davos Forum, US President Donald Trump, who had a history of mocking other world leaders, also mentioned President Macron's sunglasses. In his speech, he targeted President Macron, saying, "He was wearing some really cool sunglasses. What happened to him?" He further mocked, "I saw him trying to act tough."

Gemini generated image.

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"Did he get hit by his wife again?" ... Top Gun Macron and meme explosion

X (formerly Twitter) capture

Subsequently, countless images and videos of President Macron in sunglasses, many of them photoshopped, began to flood the internet. SNS users remarked that the photos resembled an homage to the 1986 Tom Cruise film 'Top Gun,' turning Macron's image into a meme and sharing it widely. Some even referenced last May's incident, where Macron's wife Brigitte was seen playfully hitting his face on a private jet, joking, "Did he get hit again?"

On May 25 last year, French President Emmanuel Macron (inside the circle) arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam by a private jet, and his wife Brigitte Macron is seen forcefully pushing his face with her hand. /AP Yonhap News Photo by AP

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'Actually, his eye hurt.'

Diagnosed with subconjunctival hemorrhage in his right eye

AP Yonhap News

During his speech at the Davos Forum, President Macron took off his sunglasses and revealed his bloodshot right eye, asking for understanding about his unsightly appearance. The French ?lys?e Palace later explained that President Macron wore the sunglasses for protection because a blood vessel had burst in his right eye, making him more sensitive to light.

(Right photo) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, wearing an eye patch, arrives at the St. Michael Reception of the German Bishops' Conference in Berlin on September 4, 2023 (local time). Chancellor Scholz is reported to have injured the right side of his face after falling while jogging. He also posted a 'pirate style' photo wearing the eye patch on X (Twitter), writing, "Excited to see what memes will come out of this." / Photo by Reuters

Some commentators noted that President Macron handled his eye injury in a far more sophisticated manner than German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who wore an eye patch after a jogging injury in 2023.

"You can see the difference between how the Germans and the French solve the same problem."

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'Looks cool, but where are those from?'...

Surge in orders for the sunglasses, company stock surges

A shopping mall webpage selling the sunglasses worn by President Macron.

Reuters, Associated Press, Yonhap News Agency.

The sunglasses he wore are the 'Pacific S01' model from the French luxury eyewear brand Henry Jullien, retailing for 659 euros (approximately 1.13 million won). Henry Jullien stated, "To ensure stable access for all customers, we have temporarily activated a dedicated official page for this model," and quickly created a purchase link for the model on their homepage using images of President Macron wearing them.

"After President Macron wore the Pacific model, it received tremendous attention, and the online shopping site is experiencing an exceptional level of visits and order requests."
- Henry Jullien

Stefano Fulchir, CEO of the Italian eyewear company iVision Tech, which owns Henry Jullien, told Reuters that these sunglasses were the very ones he sent to President Macron in 2024. As a result, iVision Tech's share price soared by about 28% on the Milan Stock Exchange on January 22, even causing trading to be temporarily suspended.

This sunglasses incident appears to be a reaction to a European leader briefly alleviating the intense 'Trump fatigue' with a touch of wit.

Experts evaluated that "Macron's sunglasses unexpectedly provided a political theatrical effect to the European continent, which hopes for a tough response to Trump."