The French president has stirred discussion on social media after sharing images of himself boxing on the official photographer’s Instagram account, maintained by Soazig de la Moissonniere. Viewers wonder whether he is training to face Vladimir Putin after urging Europe to intensify its response to Ukraine. Online commentators have sparked a lively debate about the authenticity of the photo showing the president with notably muscular arms while punching a punching bag.
The photographs have elicited a wide range of reactions. Some praise him as a combative leader for France, while others compare him to fictional boxers like Rocky Balboa. There are also questions about whether the images have been retouched and about the timing of their publication, given rising Western tensions over the Ukraine conflict. A number of voices suggest the pictures hint at a metaphoric readiness to confront President Putin.
Soazig has been photographing Macron since 2016, covering public events, official trips, and campaign activities. Her work also captures more intimate, everyday moments. Éric Anceau, a history professor at the University of Lorraine, wrote that the photographs reflect a certain neopopulist virility that some leaders, including Putin, seem to prize today, framing it as a compelling, gendered image in political life.