‘Handsome grandpa' Macron makes a splash on holiday in south of France
The images, which have been shared widely by the media in France, mark a stark departure from the sobriety of the French president's usual crisp attire and serious demeanour.
Instead of his signature dark blue suit, Mr Macron was captured in a wetsuit, riding a hydrofoil board and grinning widely during sunset.
'But what a handsome grandpa,' read the cover of Voici, a weekly celebrity and gossip magazine that posted the photos of Mr Macron on its cover on Thursday.
Brigitte Macron, the French first lady, was also captured riding a jetski with one of her grandchildren while following her husband on the hydrofoil.
The pictures were taken earlier this month at Fort de Brégançon, the French president's summer residence, a medieval fortress and the official retreat where French leaders have been holidaying since 1968.
The fort is located about 100 feet above sea level on a rocky islet near the Mediterranean in the South of France in Bormes-les-Mimosas.
TMZ, the celebrity tabloid news site, also commented on the president's athletic physique under the headline 'Flexing political muscles'.
It said: 'French Prez Emmanuel Macron looks like he's been hitting the gym ... because he just showed us what he's been packing under his suits – and he's got a six-pack of abs.'
It is not the first time Mr Macron has been praised for his athleticism. In 2024, official photos showed the French president with bulging biceps as he boxed a punching bag.
Between hydrofoil sessions on the open water and excursions into town for a stage show with French comedian Dany Boon, Mr Macron has also been spending his summer holidays conducting state and international business.
On Sunday, the president engaged in high-level talks with Sir Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, in a video conference to discuss the next stage of peace talks in Ukraine.
The trio will be part of a delegation of European leaders who will join Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, in Washington on Monday to meet with Donald Trump.
An unnamed source close to the president told Le Figaro: 'It's non-stop. He's making calls from Bregancon and spending his days exchanging messages with his counterparts.'
Residents said the French president kept a lower profile than usual in the area.
The owner of a bar-restaurant told Le Parisien: 'Sarkozy used to come and get his freshly squeezed orange juice. [Jacques] Chirac and [François] Hollande used to come and see us, but we don't see Macron anymore. I think he is no longer very popular.'
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