Watch: Macron downs a beer in one, sparking criticism in France

French president Emmanuel Macron has come under fire after drinking a bottle of beer without stopping.

It happened after a French rugby final in Paris at the weekend.

Footage on social media shows Mr Macron cheered on by victorious players from Stade Toulousain.

We see him put the bottle to his mouth before the camera cuts away to shots elsewhere in the dressing room.

The camera then returns to Mr Macron who finishes the beer, to loud cheers from the rugby players, many of whom are filming the French president on their smartphones.

The incident came after Stade Toulousain beat La Rochelle in the final of the Top 14 on Saturday (June 17).

‘A quite disastrous message for young people’

French MP Sandrine Rousseau, a member of the centre-left Europe Ecologie Les Verts party, said the picture demonstrated “toxic masculinity in leadership in one picture”.

It is not the first time Ms Rousseau has waded into such issues, sparking a backlash last year when she said society must “change mentality so that eating a barbecued steak is no longer a symbol of virility”.

French doctor William Lowenstein, speaking to the French radio station RTL, said the stunt was “a bit childish”.

“In these cases, it is not worth campaigning saying to be careful with alcohol if we say that everyone must be drunk at a party, on December 31 or on a birthday,” said Dr Lowenstein, who specialises in addictions.

“I don't think that to be a man you have to do a cul-sec [downing a beer in one go]. That's not what is at the height of being a human.

"It's also a bad message for young people, 40% of whom binge drink regularly and drink as much as possible to get drunk as quickly as possible. The message sent to young people is still quite disastrous."

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