"Even the President Rushed Over in Alarm"... Guards Collapse One After Another at Welcome Ceremony: What Happened?

Macron immediately checks on first guard after he collapses
French presidential office: "Neither guard suffered serious injuries"

Two members of the Republican Guard collapsed one after another as French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the president of Slovakia. When the first guard collapsed, President Macron immediately went over to check on him. Both guards received assistance at the scene and were reported to have suffered no injuries.

On November 13, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing AFP and the French daily Le Parisien, that two members of the Republican Guard collapsed while welcoming the president of Slovakia.

Two members of the Republican Guard collapsed one after another as French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the president of Slovakia. AFP-Yonhap News

Late the previous afternoon, guards had lined up in full dress uniform, holding ceremonial swords, ahead of Slovak President Peter Pellegrini's arrival at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Video released by Reuters showed one guard standing to President Macron's left staggering as Pellegrini's car was about to stop in the palace courtyard. The guard lost his balance, struck a pillar and fell, and the sword he was holding hit the ground with a loud clang. President Macron and his aides immediately went over to him.

A short time later, a second guard collapsed out of camera view. The video captured the sound of another sword hitting the ground and showed President Macron turning toward the source of the noise. The welcoming schedule continued as staff at the scene attended to the guards. The French president's office told Le Parisien and the French edition of HuffPost that both guards showed signs of vasovagal syncope, received immediate assistance and were not injured. The specific triggers for their fainting were not disclosed.

The Republican Guard, part of the French National Gendarmerie, is responsible for state ceremonial duties, including welcoming foreign leaders, and for security at major government facilities. AFP reported that its members often stand for long periods at official events wearing heavy uniforms and holding their swords upright. According to Slovakia's public broadcaster STVR, the two leaders held talks at the Elysee Palace after the welcoming ceremony and discussed energy cooperation, including nuclear power, the aerospace and defense industries, and the war in Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.