The worst slips of the tongue by Presidents of the Republic

Despite their preparation and mastery of words, heads of state have sometimes made speech errors that are as amusing as they are embarrassing. A look back at those unexpected moments when the seriousness of the office is erased by a single misspoken word.

These linguistic errors remind us that behind the presidential office, there are men and women, with their weaknesses, fatigue, and stress. They are often unintentional, but sometimes reveal a state of mind, a poorly prepared message... or an overconfident ego.

In politics, every word counts. And every misplaced word can become a symbol. The internet remembers nothing, and presidential slips of the tongue are now part of the collective memory. They fuel sketches, parodies... and sometimes, debates.

In November 2017, France emerged from the state of emergency that had been declared following the attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis.

A few days earlier, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, declared: “This is why I have decided that next November, we will leave the rule of law… the state of emergency, pardon me.”

Donald Trump talking about the Soviet Union instead of Russia, Nicolas Sarkozy saying he's "on the side of the dictators," or more recently, former US President George W. Bush denouncing the "brutal invasion of Iraq" instead of that of Ukraine... Discover some of the most famous presidential slips of the tongue in this slideshow.