Size matters? Framing of Macron’s extra-large official portrait ‘could cost €2.7mn’
French President Emmanuel Macron’s official portrait has yet again become a heated topic of internet and media discussion, after a local official calculated the hefty sum it would take from local budgets to frame the new leader’s outsize picture.
The French president’s official portrait had only just slipped out of the public eye over its style and contents, but now finds itself back at the center of attention after the sizing format of the picture caught people’s attention.
The new portrait is a few centimeters bigger than those of Macron’s predecessors, meaning French municipalities may have to spend more than €2.7 million (US$3.1 million) to frame it, according to Romain Senoble, the mayor of the commune of Forges, Seine-et-Marn.
The official had reportedly posted his calculations on Facebook, before the mayor of Montereau-Fault-Yonne, James Chéron, took to Twitter to share the possible hefty budget burden.
😡 Le changement de format de la photo officielle du Président va coûter 2,7M€ aux collectivités. Ce Président qui demande des économies... pic.twitter.com/oLsj2hkY2A
— James Chéron (@jamescheron) July 18, 2017
“Until now, the format of the official photo of the President of the Republic was 50×65 (19.6inx25.6in), go figure why that of Emmanuel Macron is 50×70,” Senoble wrote, as cited by Canadian newspaper the Siver Times.
The few extra centimetres may add up to considerable sums, according to Senoble, who said that local authorities would need to pay €77 each for a new frame.
After further calculations, the mayor concluded that 36,000 French communes could have to fork out a total of €2,772 million. He also noted that it was Macron who ordered local authorities to save money, as the French president asked for spending to be cut by €13 billion over the next five years.
Senoble reportedly threatened not to put up the president’s official photo or simply resize it with scissors, although local authorities are not actually obliged to display the portrait – with it being more of a tradition.
Macron’s portrait has already gained attention online. In June, when the picture was unveiled, netizens rushed to meticulously analyze every detail of the photoshoot. While some noted that Macron’s portrait pose is similar to former US President Barack Obama’s, others claimed that the photo was heavily Photoshopped.
READ MORE: Photoshop & phones: Macron’s official portrait making rounds for all the wrong reasons
