FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Emmanuel Macron Being Slapped In 2022?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook claims to show French President Emmanuel Macron being slapped during a public gathering in 2022.

Verdict: Misleading

The video is from 2021, not 2022. It shows a different angle from a widely reported story about Macron being slapped.

Fact Check:

Macron announced a 100 million euro package for Moldova, according to Reuters. He also called for Ukraine to start peace talks with Russia, which elicited skepticism from the U.K., Bloomberg reported.

The video shows Macron being slapped by a man with long hair and glasses. The video’s caption reads, “French President Emmanuel Macron again.” (RELATED: Did BBC News Report That Emmanuel macron Warned Europe Of An Influx Of 60 Million Refugees?)

While It is true that the video shows Macron being slapped, it is a different angle from a video of Macron being slapped in 2021. Macron was slapped by a Frenchman in June 2021, and the perpetrator was sentenced to four months in prison, according to The Associated Press.

Images published by The Associated Press show that Macron is wearing the same mask and black tie in the video, indicating that it is from 2021, not 2022. The person who slaps Macron in the video is wearing the same shirt and glasses as well. A 2021 video from a different angle shows the same incident.

Indian news outlets inaccurately reported that Macron had been slapped once again in November 2022, though some outlets did issue corrections, according to BoomLive. Macron was pelted with cherry tomatoes in April 2022 and was hit by an egg in September 2021, the outlet reported.

This is not the first time Macron has been the subject of misinformation on social media. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim suggesting the French president told BBC News that Europe would see an influx of 60 million refugees from Africa in 20 years.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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