Looks like the magic is gone.
Last May, the internet swooned over photos from the first meeting of French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit. Gazing upon the trim, youthful leaders strolling under the Sicilian sun in well-tailored suits and appropriate-length ties, Twitter observers declared it “a bromance,” “insanely romantic” and “a wedding photo shoot.”
Not passing up an opportunity to provide fanservice, Macron tweeted, “The Franco-Canadian friendship has a new face.”
Le sigh! But now there are signs that the ship of state may have run aground. Frankly, Macron may not be as into Trudeau as Trudeau is into him. The two leaders engaged in a less-than-compatible hug on Monday, when a beaming Trudeau went in with both arms, but Macron kept one of his in front for a handshake. Awkward.
The awkward Trudeau-Macron hug in pictures #TheMorningRush #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/Xrj9CZomyX
— Matt Harris (@mattfharris) April 18, 2018
“Trudeau is full-on-butt-out. Macron is simply put, handling the incoming hug,” said Esquire. “Even that guard in the corner, a man in the background paid not to show any emotion, is visibly shaken.”
It could just be a clash between the famous French reserve — occasionally known as “sociopathy” in the field of romance — and Canada’s big ol’ open heart, which bleeds maple-flavored Molson for whoever looks like they need a drop of tenderness. It could be a bad angle. Photos may or may not lie, but they can’t always provide slash fiction material.
This one can provide a teachable moment. Basically, know whether you’re going in for a “handshake hug” or full cuddle. The handshake hug is for colleagues; the full hug is for buddies. There is no halfway! Don’t be all French about it! “When two people care about each other, a handshake should naturally turn into a hug,” says Esquire. “The hug should never linger too long, though, at the risk of you both ending up in a strange hand situation where you’ve impaled the handshake. Additionally, a handshake hug is never full body, otherwise you have that issue of having your butt out there.”
Someone brief the monsieur. Macron is heading to Washington, D.C. on Monday for a three-day state visit. He and Donald Trump are expected to tangle over their differing positions on Syria, the Iran nuclear deal and trade, Reuters reports.
