Greek Instagrammer Ioanna Touni and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have shared a lighthearted social media exchange over the opening of her new Paris bakery.
The informal online dialogue began as Mitsotakis arrived in the French capital to attend an international space summit convened by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Touni initiated the exchange by sharing a message from a follower named Efi regarding the official launch of her croissanterie, Fat Rat. She announced that the store was treating every Greek customer buying a croissant to a Freddo Espresso, a popular cold coffee beverage from Greece.
Accompanied by a smiling emoji, she posted a public message asking the prime minister please not to attend the grand opening.
Prime Minister Responds Online
Mitsotakis quickly replied to the influencer in the same humorous spirit. Reposting her original story to his own account, the prime minister noted that while visiting the bakery was not originally on his itinerary, her post had prompted him to reconsider.
Touni reacted to his answer by sharing his post once more and adding a brief message bidding him goodbye from her end.
She followed up by posting a garlic emoji, a symbol traditionally used in Greek culture to ward off bad luck, alongside several private messages sent by followers reacting to the prime minister's comment.
Artificial Intelligence Images Surface
Shortly after the public back and forth, social media users created artificial intelligence images imagining an in-person meeting between the two figures inside the Paris store.
One widely shared image depicted Touni standing behind the counter and serving a fresh croissant and a coffee to Mitsotakis.
Touni reacted positively to the digital artwork, describing the generated scene as perfect in the comments. Writing in the caption, she joked that she was a few hours ahead and referred to the creator using a traditional Greek term for an in-law.
Background to the Paris Event
Touni is a prominent Greek social media personality and entrepreneur who has built a substantial online following through fashion and business ventures. Her expansion into the French capital marks her latest commercial venture outside of Greece.
Mitsotakis was visiting Paris for official talks on European space policy hosted by Macron. Following the social media exchange and the opening events, both figures continued with their scheduled activities in the city.
