Greenpeace “Borrows” Macron Wax Statue for Anti-Russian Protest Outside Paris Embassy

In a bold act of climate and geopolitical protest, Greenpeace activists removed a wax statue of French President Emmanuel Macron from Paris’s famed Grévin Museum and staged it in front of the Russian embassy on Monday morning.

The move was aimed at criticizing France’s continued trade with Russia—particularly in fossil fuels and nuclear energy—as well as Macron’s perceived inaction on climate policy. Greenpeace said in a statement that they had “borrowed” the statue around 10:30 a.m. local time from the museum, which houses wax figures of over 200 prominent public figures.

“He does not deserve to be exhibited in this world-renowned cultural institution until he has terminated French contracts with Russia and initiated an ambitious and sustainable ecological transition across Europe,” the organization stated.

The wax figure, depicting a smiling Macron clapping his hands, was placed outside the Russian embassy in western Paris. Surrounding the statue were banners criticizing France’s ongoing economic ties with Moscow, despite the war in Ukraine. One protest sign behind the statue read “business is business,” while another declared, “Ukraine is burning, business goes on.”

France Still Heavily Dependent on Russian Energy

Despite public promises to reduce reliance on Russian energy, France remains one of its top customers. According to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), France was the EU’s largest importer of Russian fossil fuels in January, with €377 million ($430 million) in liquified natural gas (LNG) imports alone.

Greenpeace also called out France’s ongoing contracts with Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear agency. Roger Spautz, an energy transition campaigner with Greenpeace France, warned that Macron’s support of nuclear energy keeps France “dangerously dependent” on a hostile regime.

“There is no sovereignty, no energy transition, and no peace possible with Vladimir Putin’s uranium,” Spautz said. “It is time to end this double standard and turn the page on nuclear power.”

Accusations of “Double-Talk”

The group also accused Macron of hypocrisy—condemning Russia publicly while maintaining backdoor economic ties.

“This ambiguous stance weakens France’s credibility on the international stage and fuels the Kremlin’s war chest,” Greenpeace stated.

CNN has reached out to Greenpeace for information on the current whereabouts of the statue and whether it will be returned. Requests for comment have also been sent to the Grévin Museum and President Macron’s office.