A picture is worth a thousand words. Emmanuel Macron’s victory speech in front of the Louvre − the royal residence turned national art museum − was a masterclass in powerful imagery. It conveyed one simple message: France is changing. Within minutes, photographs and videos flooded the internet. Macronmania had begun.
It was also the beginning of the presidency’s love affair with social media. The Élysée Palace’s online presence has grown substantially and so has the use of social media by Macron’s team. Their objectives are threefold: first, to project an image of a leader who is both authoritative and grounded; second, to reach a broad and especially a young audience by providing snapshots of the president’s daily routines; and finally, they see it as the most efficient way to address the public directly.
