Why Was Macron Wearing Sunglasses at Davos?

 

Why Was Macron Wearing Sunglasses at Davos?

 

An eye condition, not a style choice, prompted President Emmanuel Macron of France to don aviators to address the World Economic Forum.

 

Francesca Regalado

By Francesca Regalado

Jan. 21, 2026

Updated 11:49 a.m. ET

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/world/europe/macron-sunglasses-davos.html

 

The French are known for their style. So when President Emmanuel Macron addressed the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, it was striking to see him wearing sunglasses indoors.

 

A medical issue, however, and not the dictates of fashion, prompted Mr. Macron to take the stage in Davos, Switzerland, in a pair of blue-tinted aviator-style glasses.

 

Mr. Macron did not acknowledge his unconventional choice of spectacles during his 18-minute speech. The sunglasses made their first appearance last Thursday, when he sported an inflamed right eye during a New Year’s speech to France’s armed forces.

 

“Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye,” he told the troops, after removing the glasses for the speech, adding that the condition was “completely harmless.”

 

French news reports have indicated that Mr. Macron has been suffering from broken blood vessels in his eye. The condition is known medically as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which can be caused by trauma, coughing, sneezing, high blood pressure or medications like blood thinners, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The condition typically goes away without treatment within two weeks.

 

Some leaders have used their speeches in Davos to challenge President Trump’s increasingly bellicose posture to traditional allies of the United States. On Tuesday, Mr. Macron warned of a “shift toward a world without rules,” referring to the growing disregard for international law.

 

The rules of etiquette, which forbid wearing sunglasses indoors, could be overlooked.

 

On social media, Mr. Macron’s sunglasses were seen as a political statement, projecting a tough image in the face of Mr. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on French wine and champagne and to annex Greenland. He has previously used his clothing to send a message, donning a turtleneck in the winter of 2022 as Europe contended with an energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 

Some people likened the bespectacled Mr. Macron to the naval aviator played by Tom Cruise in “Top Gun.” Others recalled former President Joe Biden’s penchant for aviators, though Mr. Biden was not known to wear his sunglasses while addressing world leaders.

 

Mr. Macron’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.