A 19-year-old French student threw an egg at President Emmanuel Macron during the opening of the International Restaurant Exhibition in Lyon (central France) on Monday. The student, who was standing close to the President, successfully hit his target; the egg landed on Macron's shoulder but did not break, bouncing off and falling to the ground. Police quickly apprehended and detained the attacker. The French judiciary confirmed that the young man is "completely unknown to police and justice systems."
Commenting on the incident, Macron said, "If he has something to say to me, let him come to me," expressing a desire to see his assailant. He added, "I will go see him later." Macron's popularity has been declining, as polls show only 38% of French people are satisfied with his performance, compared to 59% who are not. However, this low figure is still much higher than the popularity of his predecessor François Hollande (22%) at the same point in his term, and slightly above that of former President Nicolas Sarkozy (36%) during his similar timeframe.
The incident occurred while Macron was touring the "International Exhibition of Restaurants, Hotels, and Food," which opened in Lyon on Monday. During his tour, restaurant owners warmly thanked him for the assistance his government provided to the sector during the COVID-19 crisis and expressed appreciation for his plans to implement a tax exemption for non-cash tips, i.e., those paid by customers via credit cards.
On June 8, Macron was slapped in the face by a man during a visit to southern France, a incident that sparked widespread outrage among the political class. The assailant was arrested that day and sentenced to four months in prison, released on September 21. In March 2017, while still a presidential candidate, Macron was also hit with eggs during a visit to the Paris Agricultural Show, which he described at the time as "part of popular heritage."
