"Like a Wedding Shoot"... Macron and Lula Bromance Meeting Sparks Online Buzz

France-Brazil Joint Press Conference "Strengthening Cooperation"

French President Emmanuel Macron made a state visit to Brazil, where he showcased a 'bromance' with Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva through affectionate photos, sparking online buzz.

Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron are holding hands on a boat on the 26th (local time). Provided by the Brazilian Presidential Office. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 29th (local time), President Macron visited the eastern Brazilian city of Bel?m and Combu Island in the Amazon rainforest for three days starting from the 26th. This is the first visit by a French president to Brazil in 11 years since former President Fran?ois Hollande in 2013.

As much attention was paid to the meeting between the two leaders as to the photos of Macron and Lula taken together.

In photos released on President Lula’s social media account, the two leaders are seen holding each other’s hands tightly while sitting on a boat and looking at the river. In another photo, the two are holding hands and running through the rainforest on Combu Island, smiling brightly.

Once the photos of the two leaders were posted online, comments followed saying, "It looks like an engagement photo or a scene from a romantic comedy movie."

Brazilian President Luis In?cio Lula da Silva (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

One user on X posted their photos and wrote, "Lula and Macron, currently doing a wedding photoshoot, plan to hold their wedding in the Amazon and then go on a honeymoon to Paris." Another user gave advice, saying, "Date someone who looks at you with the same eyes Macron looks at Lula."

The two countries had maintained tense relations from 2019 to the end of 2022 during the presidency of far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. In particular, early in Bolsonaro’s term, the two leaders engaged in heated exchanges over responses to Amazon wildfires, which escalated into emotional conflicts and cooled diplomatic relations.

On the 28th, President Macron stated at a joint press conference with President Lula, "We are starting a new chapter in the relationship between our two countries."

During this meeting, the two leaders emphasized their willingness to cooperate on issues such as poverty eradication, climate crisis response, and global taxation. They also announced an investment plan worth 1 billion euros (approximately 1.4 trillion won) to protect the Amazon rainforest.