- French President Emmanuel Macron captured on video singing a traditional song following the signing of the controversial pension reform bill into law
- The passing of the bill resulted in turmoil across the nation as protesters oppose raising the age requirement for retirement by two years
- The situation comes after several weeks of demonstrations in France that unsuccessfully blocked the reform
Video footage of French President Emmanuel Macron singing a traditional song surfaced on Tuesday following his signing of the controversial pension reform bill into law, which resulted in turmoil across the nation.
When the video of the French leader singing first came out, many internet users suspected that it was created as a fake using AI or other technological tools. However, people who were close to Macron confirmed that it was authentic.
Emmanuel Macron Sings Amid Nationwide Turmoil
The sources said that Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, took a moment after delivering a speech on Monday evening. The couple reportedly encountered a group of younger people singing, prompting the president to join them in a song from the Pyrenees that he knows and loves, as per France24.
In the video, which was captured at night, Macron could be seen reading from his mobile phone the lyrics to the song "Le Refuge," which is a piece talking about a lodge in the mountain range on the country's southwestern border with Spain. He was seen being surrounded by men who seemed to be in their 20s and 30s and were singing vigorously.
The incident could initially be seen as the French president showing a connection with young voters. This is because Macron's pension reform resulted in widespread animosity from people of pension age that have fought back against the bill in recent weeks.
The video footage of Macron singing was first published on Facebook on the page of an organization known as "Project Canto." The group describes itself as working to preserve traditional songs in digital form. However, left-wing newspaper Liberation last year reported that the group was founded and run by far-right activists and even offered song records with ties to Nazi Germany in its application.
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Controversial Pension Reform Bill Signed Into Law
On Monday, Macron connected his pension reform bill and Europe's independence from other nations. According to Politico, he said that France is filled with people who want to control and choose their own destinies and do not want to depend on anyone else.
That particular TV appearance was the first time he had publicly addressed the country since the signing of the controversial bill. Macron's reference to independence from other nations was similar to comments previously made in a separate interview.
In passing the bill into law, the Constitutional Council rejected opposition calls for a referendum but also removed other aspects of the reform, citing legal flaws. After the ruling, protesters across Paris set fires in the region, resulting in law enforcement personnel making 112 arrests.
Since January, there have been 12 days of demonstrations that protesters conducted in opposition to the controversial pension reform bill. Macron has repeatedly defended his plan by saying that reforms were necessary to prevent the collapse of the pension system, said BBC.
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