Politicians historically have a reputation of mincing their words, then there's French President Emmanual Macron, who recently outraged opponents when he said his COVID-19 strategy was to "piss off" the unvaccinated by restricting their social lives.
However, it is far from the first time that his frankness – calculated or not – has ruffled feathers.
'Hatred of France'
In October 2021, Macron infuriated Algerian leaders by claiming that the country's autocratic "political-military system" had rewritten the history of its colonization to foment "a hatred of France."
'Brain dead' NATO
The French president refused to roll back on his claim in November 2019 that NATO was experiencing "brain death," saying it was a necessary "wake-up call" to the alliance.
'Jojo in a yellow vest'
In January 2019, as the "yellow vest" protests against his government raged, Macron criticized rolling news television channels for giving some "Jojo in a yellow vest the same prominence as a minister or a lawmaker" in their coverage.
Poor who 'mess around'
During a speech to address the yellow vest movement the same month, Macron said he wanted to "empower" poor people but said while some are "doing the right thing," others were just "messing around."
'Get well soon': and have more sense
After an activist in her 70s was hurt in a police charge to disperse a banned yellow vest protest in Nice in March 2019, Macron wished her a "prompt recovery and perhaps a measure of wisdom...
"When you're frail, when you can be pushed around, you don't go to places that are defined as off-limits and you don't put yourself in situations like this one," he added.
Just 'cross the road'
A young unemployed gardener got a stern piece of advice from Macron during an open day at the Elysee Palace in September 2018.
The president told him that "I could cross the road and get you a job," saying there were plenty of vacancies in "hotels, cafes and restaurants" as well as the construction industry.
Rebellious Gauls
Visiting Denmark the previous month, Macron expressed his admiration for the country's flexible welfare system, saying "these Lutheran people ... are not like the Gauls who are resistant to change."
'You will call me president'
In June 2018 he had put a secondary school student swiftly in his place for whistling the left-wing anthem, the "Internationale," and greeting him on an official visit with a mocking, "How's it going, Manu?" – a diminutive version of the president's first name.
"You will call me president, or Mr, OK?" Macron shot back.
"Before you start a revolution, you should get yourself a qualification and be able to feed yourself. Then you can start telling others what to do."
'A crazy amount of dosh'
In a video published on his Twitter account the same month, the president complained that a "crazy amount of dosh is spent on (giving people) the social minimum" while "the poor stay poor ... We must have something that allows them to get out of that."
No to the 'slackers'
In one of his most famously provocative declarations as he pushed through new labor laws in September 2017, Macron said, "I will not give in to the slackers, the cynics or the extremes."
Two days later, he said he was targeting "all those who think that we should not get Europe and France moving."
'French hate reform'
"France is not a reformable country. Many have tried and not succeeded because the French hate reform," he said during a visit to Romania in August 2017.
People 'who are nothing'
Not for the first time, Macron was accused of being arrogant and haughty when he said that "those who have succeeded and those who are nothing cross paths in stations" as he opened a huge tech incubator in a former railway yard in Paris in June 2017.