France's Macron slammed for Zelensky 'cosplay' moment

French President Emmanuel Macron has been mocked for his apparent attempt to mimic the 'military casual' look adopted by Ukraine's war leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Macron was snapped by his official photographer at the Elysee Palace on Sunday, unshaven and wearing a black hoodie that showed the emblem of France's crack Parachute Commando n° 10, C.P.A 10 division.

Macron's adoption of this new casual look stands in stark contrast with his usual debonair appearance.

It also coincides with a phenomenally successful public relations campaign by President Zelensky who has taken to directing Ukraine's war with Russia from his office wearing olive military t-shirts and also going several days without a shave.

Zelensky's 'wartime leader look' has seen the president win blanket praise for his conduct in western media and made him one of the most popular politicians in Europe.

Some generous pundits have suggested that Macron, too, has been bitten by the 'Zelensky Effect', while others have accused the French president of cos-playing.

📢 French leader Emmanuel Macron has been accused of 'cosplaying' as wartime leader of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy after photos were published of him wearing jeans and a French paratrooper hoodie in his office in the Elysée Palace.https://t.co/iVAPvkVoHx

— Dispatches of the Lotus Eaters (@lotuseatersnews) March 15, 2022

Macron mood: pic.twitter.com/XRLP8CHzJQ

— edekzpiątego (@edekzpiatego) March 14, 2022

Others defended Macron, saying the hoodie and jeans fit as his usual weekend attire.

You compare him to Zelensky now because you notice it. But it’s not his first pictures of the kind. We had a few over 5 years. He’s our younger president ever too. Younger by far than any other candidate.
Just in February 2022 already you can find some. Before Zelensky.

— Christian 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇬🇧 (@chriscatfr) March 14, 2022

Macron is standing for re-election next month, where he is facing competition from far-right contenders Marine Le Penn and Eric Zammour.

Bookies have him down to comfortably win the presidential race but the centrist president had hedged his bets with a tougher approach to foreign policy and immigration in recent months in an apparent bid to pick up right-wing votes.