It's often said that politicians should know the price of milk, but in France one presidential hopeful is being lampooned for not knowing the cost of a pastry, reports the BBC.
Jean-François Copé was asked during a radio interview with Europe 1 if he knew how much a pain au chocolat - or chocolatine as they're sometimes known - would set you back these days. He initially says he has no idea, before hazarding a guess of between 10 and 15 cents (around $0.16; 13p). When the presenter points out it's actually well over one euro, Mr Copé jokingly responds that he doesn't buy them often because they're too calorific.
Mr Copé is standing in the centre-right primary to select a candidate for next year's presidential election. He's a former budget minister who once taught local economy and finance at the renowned Sciences Po university in Paris.
Europe 1 radio has shared the interview on its Twitter feed, where people are decidedly unimpressed. Some are incredulous that politicians with an influence over the economy don't know the price of an iconic French snack.
"They are completely disconnected from real life," one user says, a view shared by many commenting online. Others merely poke fun at him, with one person tweeting: "I don't know where he buys his pains au chocolat but they must not be 'pure butter'."