The tight hug and kiss exchanged between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Sports Minister during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have sparked intense commentary on social media.

Photos circulating online show 46-year-old Macron holding Amélie Oudéa-Castéra by the arm as she kisses him near the neck. The 46-year-old former professional tennis player squeezes the French leader’s bicep with one hand, while the other tenderly wraps around his neck.

As highlighted by the New York Post, one element that made the scene even more awkward was the presence of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who in some photos appears to pointedly look away.

“Attal pretends to look elsewhere! He doesn’t know what to do!” wrote one commentator, while several others pointed out the inappropriate familiarity between the French president and his subordinate. “That’s how I kiss my lover. Embarrassing,” “I find this photo inappropriate, not worthy of a president and a minister,” some notable posts read.

The French magazine Madame Figaro described the kiss as “strange” and commented that Oudéa-Castéra has a tendency to draw attention to herself.

Oudéa-Castéra, or AOC as she is known in France, has been in the spotlight in recent months due to the Paris Olympic Games. Earlier this month, she took a dive into the River Seine to prove that the waters are safe. It is noted that a triathlon event before the competition there was canceled on Sunday due to concerns about water quality.

Macron appointed Oudéa-Castéra as France’s Minister of Education in January but removed her from the role after less than a month when it was revealed that she sent her children to luxurious private schools and made derogatory comments about the public schools where she lived.

It is worth noting that not all commentators on X were scandalized by the hug between Macron and his minister, with some considering it justified within the context of the day’s celebratory atmosphere.