Since he managed to secure a second term at the Elysée Palace in Paris two years ago, Emmanuel Macron’s presidency has been anything but a bed of roses.
In the April 2022 election, Macron defeated far-right Marine Le Pen in a second round, but was heavily criticized after his opponent received more votes than any far-right candidate in French history and solidified his Rally party. National (RN) as a party. important actor in the French political sphere.
Macron’s second term has subsequently been mired in controversy and public discontent amid widespread strikes, while the RN, now led by Le Pen’s handsome young protégé Jordan Bardella, continues to trail far behind in the polls. in front of the president’s Renaissance party before the European elections in June.
And so, it seems that the decision has been made in the depths of the Elysée Palace that Macron is due for a bit of a makeover.
His personal photographer, Soazing de la Moissonnière, caused a stir in France last week when she posted two images showing the French president punching a punching bag, his face a picture of steely resolve as his chiseled biceps rippled beneath his shirt. .
The black-and-white photographs, hailed as a display of “ultimate virility” by one French newspaper, were the latest in a series of carefully curated images that were part of a campaign to end Macron’s reputation as a know-it-all. all charlatan, reformulating him as a Renaissance man of action.
And it is France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, who is said to be the catalyst behind her husband’s transformative public relations offensive.
President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron wait to receive the President of Lithuania and his wife at the Elysee Presidential Palace ahead of their meeting in Paris on March 12, 2024.
Macron’s personal photographer Soazing de la Moissonnière caused a stir in France last week when she posted images showing the French president punching a punching bag.
Macron’s pugilistic photo op is just the latest in a campaign of staged photo ops said to be designed to portray the head of the Elysee Palace as a handsome, capable and admirable representative of France.
Images of Macron released by his personal lens have captured the French leader’s appearance, confidence and charm as much as his masculinity and physical capabilities.
Macron is seen holding his blue jacket over his shoulder while checking his phone.
Brigitte understands very well the importance of optics.
A whopping twenty-four years older than her husband (the couple began an affair when Macron was just a schoolboy and she was his teacher), Mrs Macron has spent Emmanuel’s entire political career deflecting criticism.
Brigitte has also been the subject of a vicious conspiracy theory suggesting she is transgender and which has been perpetuated by influential American commentator Candace Owens, among others.
Now she is said to be plotting her husband’s political resurgence, working with a group of trusted advisers, including veteran media commentator and Macron’s unofficial right-hand man, Bruno Roger-Petit, to give the president an update on the image, according to an exhibition. by french newspaper The world.
Brigitte is also understood to be very close to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a handsome 35-year-old who has been described as Macron’s “mini-me” and could challenge the younger Bardella in a presidential shootout in 2027, when he arrives. the moment of his mentor. in office comes to an end.
Recognizing the appeal of new-age politicians like Attal and Bardella, the Palace is doing everything it can to dispel Macron’s reputation as a stuffy, no-nonsense “mansplainer” who has pushed unprecedented numbers of conservative French voters towards the RN.
Images of Macron published by his personal lens They have captured the French leader’s looks, confidence and charm as much as his masculinity and physical capabilities.
From photos of the president flashing a winning smile while lounging on a mustard-colored couch in an unbuttoned shirt that revealed his hairy chest, to the now-notorious snapshots of his boxing training… myEach photograph serves to summarize Macron as a man of equal parts style and substance.
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron walk as they attend a “national tribute” ceremony for the late French politician and admiral Philippe de Gaulle, son of Charles de Gaulle, at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris March 20th. , 2024
Macron and his wife appear alongside Elton John and David Furnish.
Emmanuel Macron appears deep in thought in another black and white artistic photograph
Macron’s public relations push is said to seek to present him as the complete package, with equal parts style and substance.
French President Emmanuel Macron (center) poses with the public for a selfie after a ceremony to seal the right to abortion in the French constitution, on International Women’s Day, at Place Vendome in Paris, on the 8th March 2024.
Just two weeks ago, the French president reversed years of attempts to maintain good relations with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, when he declared the prospect of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine. should not be “discarded”.
He also chastised Putin for threatening the use of nuclear devices and reminded him that France also has an advanced weapons program in surprisingly cheeky interviews with French media.
That response came days after Macron returned from a presidential visit to Marseille, where he personally announced the launch of a monumental police operation to crack down on drug trafficking.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether French troops ever set foot in Ukraine, or whether police make any headway against the deeply entrenched narcotics gangs that control much of Marseille’s suburbs.
The chances of any of these prospects becoming a reality are slim. But Macron’s very public efforts to publicize both efforts will likely help bolster his standing in the eyes of the French electorate.
French journalist Gael Tchakaloff, whose biography titled “As Long As We Are Together” delved into Macron’s marriage, said his sources claimed that Brigitte is “dedicated to her husband’s success” and is inextricably involved in the president’s daily schedule.
From the ‘Ala Madame’ of the Elysee Palace, she is in constant communication with her husband, who is said to call her every 90 minutes to discuss ideas and check on her.
With such a close relationship with her husband and her influence over key figures in the Palace, Mrs Macron can certainly take a lot of credit if Emmanuel and his Renaissance party win back the favor of the French public.