A brief moment during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and fellow European leaders has triggered wild online speculation, with some claiming video footage shows the group using cocaine. The clip, taken during a peace summit in Kyiv with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, shows Macron removing a crumpled white object from a table—leading conspiracy theorists to suggest drug use was involved.
The French government quickly issued a firm response, clarifying that the object was a tissue and slamming the viral claims as “fake news.” In a post from the official Elysée Palace account, Macron’s team mocked the accusations and warned that disinformation was being spread by “France’s enemies, both abroad and at home.”
Despite the clarification, online commenters continued to cast doubt, questioning Macron’s body language and the behavior of the other leaders in the clip. Some demanded a drug test or further explanation, even as close-up photos showed what appeared to be a plain tissue in Macron’s hand.
When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs.
— Élysée (@Elysee) May 11, 2025
This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation. pic.twitter.com/xyXhGm9Dsr
The French presidency has taken a notably tougher stance on misinformation lately, with officials arguing that denying such claims early is the best way to neutralize them. For now, the only thing confirmed is that Macron had a tissue—and a mountain of online rumors to wipe away with it.
