Out of Time? Why French president Emmanuel Macron is receiving flak over a watch

French President Emmanuel Macron has found himself at the centre of a fresh scandal amid ongoing pension reform demonstrations.The 45-year-old is under fire for taking off an expensive watch in the middle of a crucial interview regarding his hotly debated pension reform, according to Dailymail.Notably, Macron's proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 has sparked widespread protests and strikes across France.Let’s take a closer look at the issue.Macron removes a luxury watchAccording to The Guardian, the appearance on television on Wednesday occurred the day before millions of protesters demonstrated throughout the nation in opposition to his government's decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.Macron can be seen beginning the show with a huge watch a blue face and a black strap on his left arm during the half-hour prime-time interview, which was met with charges that he was "arrogant and disrespectful" of public concerns.Critics noted that after 11 minutes of dialogue he then covertly removed the clock, putting his left arm under the table and answering the question calmly, reported Telegraph.The watch was not there when he brought it back.Also read: Trash Troubles: Why are streets in France littered with heaps of garbage?“President of the rich”According to research by the French Observatory of Economic Conditions (OFCE), the current president is a "president of the rich," which is in line with the opinion of many others.According to the think tank's analysis, Emmanuel Macron's tax and economic policies have resulted in both winners and losers during the last three years: 70 per cent of households have profited, but those who are more wealthy have benefited more than those who are at bottom of the economic scale.Reforming unemployment benefits and addressing unemployment (which was at 10.1 per cent when Macron assumed office), as well as lowering corporate taxes from 33 per cent to 25 per cent, were at the top of his agenda.All of these were risky decisions, but three years later Mathieu Plane—an OFCE economist and one of the report's authors—noted the divisiveness that resulted."The losers in the government's economic policy are among the poorest, the unemployed, and the retired."According to the OFCE, the poorest five per cent of French citizens would see their monthly quality of living decrease by 240 euros, while the richest five per cent will see their standard of living grow by €2,905 (~Rs 2.57 lakh).Also read: Will France’s pension protests turn into another yellow vest movement?The debate about its priceThe watch, according to numerous online commenters, was manufactured by FP Journe and cost £70,000 (~Rs 7.04 million).In fact, the watch was much cheaper than others had stated. It is a BRV 1-92 model from the French business Bell&Ross, valued at £2,110 (~Rs 2.12 lakh), and it is painted in the colours of the GSPR, the president's security unit, according to France Info.For the past 18 months, he has sported the same watch. That was already noted at the World Cup of football in Qatar.While €2,400 (~Rs 2.13 lakh) is pricey, costs on the internet are 40 times higher, according to France Info.“It was clinking on the table”The watch was removed, according to Macron's aides, because it was "clinking on the table."In fact, he took it off just as he mentioned "blockages" and it was heard touching the surface.But his detractors have asserted that the watch proves he is disconnected from the general populace.In a statement, the Élysée said: “The president didn’t remove his watch in order to hide it but because it was banging heavily against the table. The noise is clearly audible only a few seconds before the beginning of the video shared on social media.”An unnamed source in Macron’s entourage told French media, “He’s often worn it for more than a year and a half. You can see it on his Instagram account and in the official photograph by Soazig de la Moissonnière for example… he has also worn it for other events including the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and during his state visit to Washington last December.”Pension protestsAs per France’s interior ministry, 1,19,000 people protested in Paris, while union leaders say 8,00,000 demonstrators – young, old, professional, unemployed – appeared for the mostly peaceful march in the capital, reported The Guardian.In Lorient town, the courtyard of a police station was set on fire and its windows were smashed, as per Associated Press. At least 80 people were arrested across the country, with 33 in Paris alone, reported BBC.Around 123 police officers were injured in France, according to interior minister Gerald Darmanin.These were the ninth union-organised demonstrations since January.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.