Shortly after the incident, Prime Minister Jan Casteks told the National Assembly that while democracy meant legitimate debate and disagreement, “it must in no way mean violence, verbal abuse, and even the least physical abuse.”
The leader of the extreme left, Jean-Luc Melenchon, tweeted, stressing his “solidarity with the president” immediately after the slap.
President Macron is currently on a tour of France and had just visited a hotel school in the southeast of the country. His visit to the region is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, officials said, with a trip to a vocational institute for young people between the ages of 25 and 30.
The president’s visit comes on the eve of a major step for French bars and restaurants, which will be able to reopen their doors to customers after seven months of closure. The night curfew in France will also be eased, ton end at 23:00 instead of 21:00.
