Emmanuel Macron‘s attempt to look cool online backfired after he was spotted chatting to an influencer who previously called him a dwarf who is married to his teacher.
In a clip that is making its rounds on social media, the French President is seen chatting to a content creator known as S4iintt on TikTok.
In the video, the man can be heard complaining that he had been fined £75 at a motorway toll booth for using his phone to pay at the terminal.
Facing his camera, he recounted his experience a few days earlier near Tours where he had three points taken off his driving licence because he had violated highway code which forbids holding your phone in your hand at toll booths or red lights.
The video, viewed hundreds of thousands of times, gained so much attention that it eventually reached the ears of Macron, who took the time to respond to it on TikTok, in a short video taken in selfie mode.
‘I think that by 2025, you should be able to pay tolls using your phone,’ Macron said coolly.
‘I’ve passed the file on to the interior minister and we’re going to sort it out collectively. Thank you for the alert.’
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has since confirmed that he has received the order and intends to respond positively to the president’s request.
![In a clip that is making its rounds on social media, the French President is seen chatting to a content creator known as S4iintt (pictured) on TikTok](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94594523-14333601-image-m-22_1738071560323.jpg)
In a clip that is making its rounds on social media, the French President is seen chatting to a content creator known as S4iintt (pictured) on TikTok
![President Macron took the time to respond to the content creator's message on TikTok, in a short video taken in selfie mode](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94594519-14333601-image-a-21_1738071557544.jpg)
President Macron took the time to respond to the content creator’s message on TikTok, in a short video taken in selfie mode
But little did Macron know, the social media personality also once dubbed him a ‘dwarf married to his French teacher’ at the helm of a ‘country the size of a potato crisp’, among other insults.
The spectacle drew sharp criticism from commentators.
One radio host quipped: ‘By offering a presidential platform to the first imbecile who comes along, Macron undermines the credibility of France.’
Others accused him of prioritising social media stunts over pressing economic and political challenges.
President Macron’s decision to collaborate with the content creator was intended to bridge the gap between the political elite and the younger generation.
However, the choice of platform and influencer has been met with skepticism and ridicule, and the initiative, aimed at connecting with younger voters, has spectacularly backfired, leading to a significant decline in his approval ratings.
Critics argue that the move appears insincere and highlights a disconnect between the president and the public.
Grappling with the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, despite presiding over internationally lauded events such as the Paris Olympics and the reopening of Notre Dame, the French president finds himself increasingly isolated at home, with critics branding his recent public appearances as out of touch and desperate.
A poll published last weekend by Le Journal du Dimanche showed just 21 per cent of voters were satisfied with his leadership – a record low in his seven years as president.
This ranks him as the second-least popular president in modern French history, behind only François Hollande, his predecessor, who has since enjoyed a political resurgence.
![The social media personality once dubbed Macron a 'dwarf married to his French teacher'. Pictured: First Lady of France Brigitte Macron and President of France Emmanuel Macron during the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland on January 27, 2025](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94596037-14333601-image-a-23_1738071716184.jpg)
The social media personality once dubbed Macron a ‘dwarf married to his French teacher’. Pictured: First Lady of France Brigitte Macron and President of France Emmanuel Macron during the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland on January 27, 2025
![President Macron's decision to collaborate with the content creator was intended to bridge the gap between the political elite and the younger generation. Pictured: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz take a selfie at the Elysees Palace on January 22, 2025 in Paris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94596163-14333601-image-a-24_1738071987053.jpg)
President Macron’s decision to collaborate with the content creator was intended to bridge the gap between the political elite and the younger generation. Pictured: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz take a selfie at the Elysees Palace on January 22, 2025 in Paris
However, as Macron contends with a fractured National Assembly and opposition-led ‘cohabitation,’ his power is increasingly limited.
Aides have described the atmosphere in the Élysée Palace as ‘morose,’ with key advisors, including his trusted lieutenant Alexis Kohler, reportedly looking to move on.
One former aide grimly told The Telegraph: ‘I just don’t see how he can bounce back. There’s no clear path.’
Even pensioners – a core bloc of Macron voters in his 2022 re-election – have abandoned him, polling shows.
His unpopularity has now fallen below levels seen during the violent 2018 ‘yellow vest’ protests, when demonstrators attempted to storm the Élysée.
Macron’s attempts to regain popularity are further hampered by a bleak economic outlook.
Unemployment, which fell to record lows during his first term, has risen by four per cent – the largest spike in a decade.
Mounting national debt has also strained France’s standing in the EU, with one business leader lamenting, ‘France used to call the shots in Europe. Now it’s shooting itself in the foot.’
The political instability is evident in the struggles of Prime Minister François Bayrou, a longtime Macron ally, who faces a daunting task of reining in the deficit while negotiating with the opposition.
![French President Emmanuel Macron (L) talks with filmmaker Eric Toledano (2L), Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp survivor Ginette Kolinka and a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Leon Placek (R) at the Paris Holocaust Memorial and before heading to Auschwitz](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94596279-14333601-image-a-25_1738072141020.jpg)
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) talks with filmmaker Eric Toledano (2L), Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp survivor Ginette Kolinka and a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Leon Placek (R) at the Paris Holocaust Memorial and before heading to Auschwitz
![French President Emmanuel Macron (left) lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland alongside his wife](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94596275-14333601-image-a-27_1738072208386.jpg)
French President Emmanuel Macron (left) lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland alongside his wife
![French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/13/94596281-14333601-image-a-28_1738072228732.jpg)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025
Bayrou has been forced to consider concessions, including reversing Macron’s contentious pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64.
Critics warn that if the reform is scrapped, little will remain of Macron’s second-term legacy.
‘He should care less about TikTok and more about his country’s economic decline,’ one source from a leading French employer remarked.
But despite his troubles at home, Macron continues to maintain a strong presence on the international stage.
He recently attended the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation and will soon host a major AI summit in Paris, attracting high-profile leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
He has also championed European unity alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, calling for ‘more independence for Europeans.’
Yet, analysts warn that Macron’s global stagecraft does little to address his domestic woes.
Political communication expert Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet remarked that while Macron retains ‘a knack for bringing the ‘French touch’ internationally,’ it is unlikely to resonate with disillusioned voters back home.
As Macron navigates the remainder of his term, his presidency is increasingly defined by a fight against irrelevance.
Whether through TikTok engagements or international summits, his efforts to restore public trust face an uphill battle in the face of economic challenges and political discontent.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .