PARIS (AP) — As French President Emmanuel Macron rides out the coronavirus in a presidential retreat at Versailles, critics on Friday called out slip-ups in his virus protection behavior, from a close-quarters handshake to repeated big-group meals over the past week.
It’s seen as a bad example and unfair to his compatriots, just as France sees a new uptick in infections and doctors are warning families to stay cautious this holiday season — especially at the dinner table.
While Macron usually wears a mask and adheres to social distancing rules, and has insisted that his virus strategy is driven by science, the 42-year-old president has been captured on camera in recent days violating France’s own guidelines.
He shook hands and half-embraced the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Angel Gurria, at a meeting Monday. Both were masked, but Macron’s office acknowledged Friday the move was a “mistake.”
