The French president Emmanuel Macron once again caused public outrage after, during a televised debate, he snuck out a precious watch worth €80.000 from under the table while he was talking about the minimum wage for workers in the country.

A video of the scandalous move of the French president appeared on the Internet, and it increased the fury of the French public even more. Many supporters of the LFI, the left-wing populist party led by French President Jean-Luc Mélenchon's most vocal opponent, shared the video showing Macron wearing the Bell & Ross watch at the start of the interview but later missing it.

In the comments, citizens accuse Macron of taking out the 80.000-euro watch during the interview, to show that he is not a rich man cut off from reality.

C'est finalement l'image de cette interview #Macron13pm :

Au moment de parler des "smicards" qui n'ont "jamais autant gagné de pouvoir d'achat", il retire discreetly sa jolie montre de luxe, sous la table.

Cet homme est une farce. #Greve23mars pic.twitter.com/DvhreQ0S3n

— Clémence Guette (@Clemence_Guette) March 23, 2023

After the reactions, Macron's Cabinet came out with a different version of the story. The Elysée Palace said the president took off the watch "for technical reasons" after being warned he was banging it on the table and making noise that was disrupting the television broadcast. The entire interview is published on YouTube, and in the video you can hear the moment when the clock hits the table. But the noise is heard when Macron talks about the protests in France. In the following, it can be seen that Macron actually takes out the watch from under the table. Macron's office also states that the mentioned watch model was not worth 80.000 euros for several years, but "only" 2.400 euros or less.

The model of the watch Macron wears on his wrist is personalized with the French president's coat of arms, meaning it could fetch many times the price on the market if the president decides to sell it.

"The president has already worn the watch to other public events, such as the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar and a state visit to Washington last December," the Elysee Palace said.

The pension reform that Macron's government is trying to "push through" these days has caused outrage among the French, who have been protesting in the streets across the country for days, and the demonstrations have become very violent and fierce.