What was meant to be a routine question and answer exchange briefly turned awkward as equipment kept shifting on the podium, breaking the rhythm of the event.

French President Emmanuel Macron, usually at ease in tense negotiations, lost his focus several times because of the unstable gear. “Are we going to organise things so it works?” he asked, smiling, as microphones continued to move.

Despite the mess, the mood stayed light. Poland’s Donald Tusk even joked with the reporters, asking them not to attack him with their equipment.