During his official state visit to Germany, the French President and the German President posed in football jerseys in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The internet is puzzling over what the numbers mean?
French President Emmanuel Macron spent three days in Germany. The schedule was planned down to the last minute. In Dresden, Macron spoke against right-wing extremism in Europe. In Berlin, he visited the Holocaust Memorial. A serious one-on-one conversation with Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also on the agenda. At the end of the trip, there was a detour to Münster, where Macron collected the Westphalian Peace Prize.
The only time for fun was at the meeting with Frank-Walter Steinmeier. A short table football duel between the Federal President and the French head of state lightened the otherwise serious mood a little. In the spirit of German-French friendship, however, there was no winner, just a draw.
Macron politically, Steinmeier personally
Because 2024 will be a sporty year, the event continued in front of the Brandenburg Gate: Macron and Steinmeier presented themselves laughing between two European Championship mascots – with two football jerseys that subsequently sparked speculation online. On the online service X, known as Twitterm, users are puzzling over what the numbers on the tops could mean.
At least in Macron’s case, the case seems clear: The 24 could refer to this year’s sporting events: the European Football Championship in Germany, the Summer Olympics in Paris. Politically, the number could also refer to the upcoming European elections on June 9th. Or to the last official state visit of a French president to Germany. A corresponding request from the star The Federal President’s Office left unanswered.
The number on Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s jersey also got users speculating. The number is rather meaningless in sporting or political terms. In 1956, a Summer Olympics did take place, but not in Europe, but in Australia. Athletes from the Soviet Union, the USA and Australia won the most medals. The number on Steinmeier’s jersey may simply be his year of birth, 1956.
Source: Stern
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