The French presidential couple has sparked new controversies due to an airplane mess. It thus gave ammunition to its critics and disinformers.
The wife of the French President Brigitte Macron recently caused a stir when she pushed her husband away just a few moments after the doors of their airplane opened, in front of unsuspecting journalists. This happened after the landing of the French government special in Hanoi. What is the relationship between the head of France and a woman who is much older and is simultaneously the grandmother of seven grandchildren?
A video recording of a married couple arriving for a state visit to Vietnam showed how the staff was opening the plane's door, behind which Macron was standing and looking towards the cockpit, as reported by the Czech Press Agency. At that point, Macron's wife, who is off-screen, pushes him away by his chin. The president stood surprised for a second, then waved to the journalists who were standing outside, taking pictures and filming him. Next comes a cut where the French president, getting off first, offers his wife his arm. She ignores it and while getting off, holds on to the railing of the attached stairs. The video immediately started to spread on pro-Russian networks like Russia Today, which wanted to provoke negative comments with it.
"It was just a bit of fun and jokes between me and my wife. People unnecessarily blew it out of proportion and made it into a global disaster,"
Macron tried to later explain how the whole event happened. But that's definitely not the only thing that makes their relationship unique.
A favored student and successful politician
The Macrons got to know each other in 1992 at high school, when the then 40-year-old Brigitte was a drama club teacher, which 15-year-old Emmanuel attended. She was fascinated by his written expression. She reportedly read his poems and other works to the whole class. That also brought them together with a strong relationship to literature and art. According to psychologists, one reason may also be that the young man was seeking a maternal type of mature woman, who understands him well and can take care of him.
Brigitte was raised as a Catholic. In 1974, she married banker André-Louise Auzière, with whom she had three children - Sébastien, Laurence, and Tiphaine. They separated after she met Emmanuel Macron. He became the Minister of Industry and Economy in 2014. A year later, Brigitte announced that she was leaving her teaching career and fully focusing on supporting her husband's political path. She advises him on the content of speeches, public appearances, and what to wear.
Politics could also be one of the reasons why they don't have children. The probability that the situation could change in this respect is small. More than ten years ago, she additionally officially retired.
Controversy and recognition
Despite this, the First Lady of France does not avoid problems even at a later age, as demonstrated by her visit to Vietnam. A few years ago, for example, she had to refute disinformation that appeared on Youtube, that she was originally born a man. Similar lies have also been faced in the past, for example by Michelle Obama, presidential candidate Kamala Harrris, or the former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Macron had to debunk rumors again, which suggested that his relationship with an older woman simply masked his homosexuality. However, these claims have never been confirmed.
Despite this, this couple continues to be among those who are in demand everywhere. That's one of the reasons Brigitte visited Paris Fashion Week last year to attend the Dior or Balmain shows in the front row. However, her number one fashion brand is reportedly Louis Vuitton. She allegedly prefers sleek, minimalist pieces. In addition, she is also known for appearing on television. She played a role in the fourth season of the TV series Emily in Paris.
The French head of state is also popular in the Czech Republic, as revealed by a survey from the Centre for Public Opinion Research, which took place from mid-September to the end of November 2024. Among foreign politicians, we trust former US vice-president Kamala Harris and Macron the most.
Airplane debacle overshadowed the economic benefits of the visit
But let's stop at the first visit of the French president to Vietnam in almost ten years. While much has already been said about its introduction, few people dedicated themselves to concrete results of the trip. Therefore, just for the record: On the spot, Macron signed trade agreements worth over ten billion dollars, which is almost 220 billion crowns in conversion. The agreements concern, for example, the purchase of 20 Airbus aircraft and cooperation in the fields of defense, nuclear energy, satellite technologies or vaccine production, reported the Czech Press Office.
Sources: author text, Ceskenoviny.cz, Prozeny.cz, Wikipedia, CVVM
