Macron Accused of Hiding Cocaine?... Elysee Palace Says "It Was a Tissue"

Rumors Spread by Pro-Russian Social Media Accounts Over Train Video to Kyiv
Elysee Palace Issues Official Response

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, faced rumors that he hid cocaine while on a train bound for Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 9, prompting the Elysee Palace to respond.

On May 10 (local time), President Macron boarded a train on the night of the 9th with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to attend the 'Coalition of Will' summit held in Ukraine. The three leaders sat at a table in casual attire and conversed during the train ride, and this scene was later released as a video on social media after the summit concluded.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Photo by Yonhap News

Subsequently, pro-Russian social media accounts began spreading claims?based on low-resolution video clips?that President Macron had hidden a bag of cocaine that was on the table before photojournalists began shooting. In the released footage, President Macron is seen quickly covering and removing a white object next to his water glass after sitting down.

According to the daily Le Monde, social media users reacted with comments such as "A cocaine party with friends?" and "When will politicians be tested for drugs?" The rumors spread further after American far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones commented that "the three look like they're high on drugs."

As the rumor spread rapidly, the Elysee Palace responded on May 11 by posting a close-up photo of the white substance on its X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, "This is a tissue used for blowing one's nose." The Elysee Palace added, "When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation reaches the point where a simple tissue is turned into drugs," and emphasized, "This fake news is being spread by France's enemies both domestic and foreign. We must be vigilant against manipulation."

Le Monde reported that this was not the first time pro-Russian accounts had attempted to portray President Macron as a cocaine addict. In May 2017, just before the presidential runoff, thousands of internal documents from Macron's campaign were hacked and leaked, and rumors spread that the leak included evidence of a cocaine order for Macron. The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) recently revealed that the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, was behind this hacking incident.