French President Macron Chugs Beer At Rugby Club, Sparks Drinking Debate

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron cheered and downed a beer in a dressing room of a rugby team and the viral footage of the act has sparked a 'drinking debate' in the country.

Drinking debate saprked in France after President Emmanuel Macron drinks beer at a rugbly club.

Source : Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron was seen downing a bottle of beer in 17 seconds in a rugby club dressing room and the footage has sparked a ‘drinking debate’ with many questioning ‘binge drinking’ and ‘toxic masculinity’, reported the Guardian. AFP stated that the video on social media shows the president being handed a bottle of Corona in the Toulouse changing room. Later, after being urged to down it in one, the 45-year-old leader drains the bottle in 17 seconds to cheers from the Toulouse coaching staff and players.  

Reacting to this, Sandrine Rousseau, an MP for the Greens party, tweeted, "Toxic masculinity in political leadership in one image." 

"A president who is sharing in the joy of 23 players and taking part in their traditions. That's all," replied ruling party MP Jean-Rene Cazeneuve. 

Certain comments were also about Macron making overtures to the right with the choice of Corona beer – which was the favourite drink of the late rightwing president Jacques Chirac, The Guardian stated in its report. 

La masculinité toxique dans le leadership politique en une image. https://t.co/jI6gNWksO5

— Sandrine Rousseau (@sandrousseau) June 18, 2023

It is pertinent to note that Macron has been a strong supporter of France’s wine industry, and once claimed that he regularly drank a glass of wine at lunch and another in the evening. The Guardian mentioned that the president has been seen to have defended the wine and alcohol lobby by blocking attempts by public health authorities to promote “Dry January”. 

"The president has a responsibility as a role model in terms of setting a healthy example for behaviour," Bernard Basset from the charity Association Addictions France told the BFM channel on Monday, as quoted by AFP. 

The report added that the spokesman for the Socialist party in parliament, Arthur Delaporte, said that "a president shouldn't do that."  

"Fifty years of public health policy against excessive consumption of alcohol, binge-drinking... the message clearly hasn't worked," he wrote.