French President Emmanuel Macron appears wearing aviator sunglasses at his meetings in Davos. It should be recalled that Macron had appeared with the same glasses during a military troop review at a base in Istres, southern France. When Macron removed them during his speech, everyone could see his red eye, with the French presidency stating that its appearance was due to a burst blood vessel.
“Please excuse the rather unaesthetic appearance of my eye,” Macron said at the beginning of his speech. “It is, of course, completely harmless.” “Just see it as an unintentional reference to the ‘Eye of the Tiger’… For those who understand the reference, it is a sign of determination,” he joked, in an apparent reference to the hit song by American rock band Survivor from the 1982 movie Rocky III starring Sylvester Stallone.
Macron on his red eye:
Please excuse the rather unesthetic state of my eye. It is completely harmless.
See it simply as an unintentional reference to the ‘eye of the tiger’ at the start of this year.
For those who get the reference, it is a sign of determination. pic.twitter.com/1g1cdh98YI
— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 15, 2026
Comments with many implications about Brigitte’s involvement
Naturally, his appearance sparked various comments with many implications about Brigitte Macron’s involvement. “Classic Macron. Turning a black eye into a joke and sunglasses into style. I have to admit it makes him look strangely confident,” wrote one user. “He looks cool,” wrote another, and another commented: “Even a burst blood vessel can’t cloud presidential arrogance. Macron turns it into a ‘tiger eye,'” said a third user.
“He forgot who’s in charge, so Brigitte whipped him,” wrote one user, making implications about Brigitte Macron. “His wife is hitting him again,” said another. “I hope Brigitte is treating him well!” wrote a third user. In May 2025, Macron had gone viral due to a video showing his wife and France’s First Lady pushing his face aside as they arrived in Vietnam, with some talking about Brigitte slapping Macron.
His speech at Davos
Emmanuel Macron went on the counteroffensive after Trump’s threats regarding Greenland and tariff impositions from the Davos podium, warning that “we are moving into a world without rules” where “international law is trampled and the only law that matters is that of the strongest.” Emmanuel Macron also stated that the US “openly seeks to weaken and subjugate Europe,” speaking of “an accumulation of unacceptable tariffs” and pressures directed against states’ “sovereignty.”
“It is… a turn toward a world without rules, where international law is trapped and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest,” the French president emphasized, adding that what he called “imperial ambitions” are re-emerging. Addressing Europeans, he then stated that Europe must not hesitate to deploy “the tools” at its disposal to protect its interests, amid escalating trade threats from Trump ahead of the much-anticipated speech by the US President himself.
But while Macron did not directly address the US President, he noted that 2025 is plagued by dozens of wars, saying: “I hear that some of these have been settled. We prefer respect over bullies.” Macron’s statement in Davos comes after Trump’s publication of Macron’s text messages showing the French leader’s confusion about the US president’s plans to take control of Greenland. According to reports, in the SMS the French President Emmanuel Macron tells Donald Trump that he awaits him in Paris with the world’s seven most powerful G7 leaders to discuss all the planet’s open fronts.
Addressing Trump, Macron tells him that “we are together on Syria and Iran, I don’t understand what you’re trying to do with Greenland. Come meet with us to rebuild our relationship.” And he appeared willing to convene the G7 after Davos on Thursday.
