France pension protests: Critics hit out at Macron over taking off ‘luxury’ watch during TV interview
Josh Salisbury
·2-min read
Emmanuel Macron with and without the watch (LFI / Screengrab)
French president Emmanuel Macron has sparked social media criticism after removing a “luxury” watch during an interview over his controversial pension changes.
Mr Macron’s raising of the pension age to 64 without a parliamentary vote has caused widespread protests across France, some of them marred by violence.
The violent scenes led to the Élysée Palace requesting that King Charles’s state visit on Sunday, his first as the monarch, be deferred in an embarrassment for the French president.
Mr Macron has been accused of being out of touch by critics who noticed he removed his “luxury” watch during a prime time TV interview to defend his pension changes.
They said it was further evidence that he is “president of the rich” and out of touch with the French public.
Clémence Guetté, an MP for the opposition left-wing La France Insoumise party, said the “final image” given by the TV interview was Macron “removing his pretty luxury watch”.
Farida Amrani, a fellow MP and Marcon critic, added: “The president of the rich has never worn his name so well.”
But the Élysée Palace insisted Mr Macron had removed the watch purely because it was “clunking on the table” during the 30-minute interview.
The watch could be heard banging against the desk around halfway through the interview.
It said the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model watch, which is personalised with a coat of arms - which would have a rough cost of up to £2,900.
It said he had been wearing the watch for more than a year and a half.
France: Anti-Government Protests
Protesters run in tear gas smoke next to a street fire on the sidelines of a demonstration as part of a national day of strikes and protests, a week after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Toulouse, southern France (AFP via Getty Images)
People look at the Bordeaux town hall in flames during a demonstration as part of the ninth day of nationwide strikes and protests against the French government’s pension reform, in Bordeaux, France (Bookee0 via REUTERS)
French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) police officers in riot gear clash with a protestor during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Toulouse, southwestern France (AFP via Getty Images)
Protesters stand near burning garbage bins during a demonstration as part of the ninth day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government’s pension reform, in Nantes (REUTERS)
Protesters use a sidewalk tree grid to break the window of a shop on the sidelines of a demonstration as part of a national day of strikes and protests, a week after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris (AFP via Getty Images)
People stand behind a fire during a demonstration, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Bordeaux, western France (AFP via Getty Images)
Protestors gather on place de la Bastille to attend a demonstration a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Pari (AFP via Getty Images)
French riot police run past a fire during a demonstration in Paris (AFP via Getty Images)
ce on the sidelines of a demonstration as part of a national day of strikes and protests, a week after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Nantes, western France (AFP via Getty Images)
d reading “We are tired of paying for privileged people” as a fire burns during a rally on a nationwide action day, a week after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Nantes, western France (AFP via Getty Images)
Protesters shield with umbrellas as they scuffle with riot police during rally in Nantes (AP)
The backlash comes as France is rocked by protests over controversial pension reforms.
On Thursday, up to a million people took part in the latest of union-organised protests against the changes, some of which were marred by violence.
More than 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond, and hundreds of police and demonstrators were injured.
There have also been widespread strikes that have involved transport workers, teachers, rubbish collectors and oil refinery workers, leaving rubbish piling up on the streets of Paris.
The Money Saving Expert has issued a warning to UK homeowners who have curtains hanging up in their homes - saying you could save hundreds by following his advice.
Elias Gabbitas faced the judge directly and told him that the guilty verdict had convinced him that there was no justice and that he had lost all faith in the justice system.
A storage expert has shared a clever hack to keep bananas fresh for longer - and it's so simple. The trick will help you avoid brown spots and keep the fruit yellow for longer
Chantelle Kielly was 18 when she tied the knot with Jim in a lavish event that saw virtually her entire hometown of Rathkeale, Co Limerick, invited to join in the celebrations.
Over the past week, Donald Trump has been forced to sit inside a frigid New York courtroom and listen to a parade of potential jurors in his criminal hush money trial share their unvarnished assessments of him. Now a criminal defendant, Trump will instead spend the next several weeks subjected to strict rules that strip him of control over everything from what he is permitted to say to the temperature of the room. While Trump is occasionally confronted by protesters, generally he lives a life sheltered from criticism.
Terrified residents say their once quiet suburb has been turned into a "warzone" by gangs of feral yobs - including some as young as nine. Young tearaways regularly steal from shops, pelt peoples' homes with eggs and steal cars for so-called 'joyrides'. Locals living in Wollescote, Stourbridge, West Mids., say they can't sleep with many installing CCTV cameras to make sure their homes are safe. Police have been called in to patrol local buses after several were vandalised by teen gangs who residents say now "rule the area". Londis worker Yamuna Ramakrishnan, 21, said she was plagued by shoplifters on a daily basis. She said: "The kids steal chocolate and whatever else they can fit in their pockets. "They also take other other things from nearby shops and put them in our shop for a prank. They took chairs and put them in our shop. “It’s been happening for more than four months. They usually come usually around 8pm. “They also smash up nearby shop doors. We call police but they run away. “They just come in and disturb the customers. They don’t allow the customers to come inside.” Last week a group of youngsters stole a car and crashed into a homeowner’s Nissan Juke and demolished his wall. CCTV footage shows the stolen Honda 4x4 careering along the road before losing control and ploughing into the parked car on Worton Road.
When Prince William takes over the throne from his father King Charles, he will be known as King William V – but what will his wife Kate Middleton be called?
Following the Cass Review, a riveting ding-dong has broken out on X (formerly Twitter) between JK Rowling and the TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp. In broad terms, Allsopp belongs to the Pollyannaish “Be kind to trans people” (what harm do pronouns do?) side.
Upon first inspection, the red shipping container sitting in an Essex storage site would have looked unremarkable but the police officers who opened it up knew better.
Israel’s presumed counterstrike against Iran has proved Joe Biden and David Cameron wrong in their insistence that Israel should just “take the win”. Instead, it fought back – and yesterday Iran was trying to pretend that nothing had happened.
Yahoo Sport 
