Emmanuel Macron tries to keep cool but this one reaction exposed his anger over the viral face shove

Economic Times

26-05-2025

French President Macron and his wife Brigitte were seen in a tense moment on video before landing in Vietnam. Brigitte pushed his face, sparking debate. Macron says it was a joke, but experts aren't sure. The clip went viral just as Macron began his Asia tour.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron were caught on video during a moment that shocked many. In the video, Brigitte suddenly shoves Macron's face with both hands while they were in their plane, just before arriving in Vietnam on Sunday night.Macron looked startled, then quickly waved to people outside the plane. Brigitte stayed inside the plane, so we couldn't see her face or reaction clearly. While they walked the stairs, Macron extended his arm to Brigitte, but she didn't accept it at first. Moments later, Macron was seen holding one fist tightly.Judi James said this didn't look like a couple joking. She said, 'This wasn't playful. A hard face push that makes someone lose balance isn't funny.' She also said, there was no laughter or smiles after the push, which you'd expect if it were just teasing. Macron touched his own face afterwards, she said it looked like he was checking if he was okay.If Macron had done the same thing to Brigitte, people would not have called it a joke, she added. French officials first claimed the video was fake, then confirmed it was real. Macron said, 'I was joking with my wife, it's nothing.'A senior official from the Elysee Palace said they were 'just relaxing and laughing before the trip.' A close associate of Macron called it a harmless 'squabble.' After the incident went viral, Macron's team scrambled to control the story.They even blamed pro-Russian social media accounts for spreading the video and twisting it. Macron warned people are twisting content and said "crackpots" are spreading false stories about him. French officials quickly said the object was just a tissue, not drugs.Macron is in Vietnam, the first French president to visit in nearly 10 years. He wants to increase France's influence in its former colony. Vietnam's economy depends on exports and it's trying to buy more US goods to avoid high tariffs. But Europe is worried that Vietnam's shift to the US may hurt EU trade.Macron is on a week-long tour of Southeast Asia, will visit Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. He wants France to be seen as a better partner than China or the US in Asia. According to reports, Macron said we need a world order based on law, not just power and also signed more than a dozen deals on defense, nuclear energy, and trade.One big deal was between VietJet and Airbus to buy 20 A330-900 planes. Macron visited a war memorial to honor Vietnamese who fought against French colonial rule. Macron also went to Temple of Literature, an 11 th century marvel and also met To Lam, leader of the Communist Party in Vietnam.Macron promised to help Vietnam with clean energy, rail projects, and critical minerals. From coal to nuclear and renewable energy is what France wants for Vietnam. Macron also said France would defend international maritime law, citing their carrier strike group in the South China Sea.France and Vietnam have a strong and close partnership. This is Vietnam's top-level friendship, which it also shares with countries like Russia, China, and the US. Macron and Brigitte will go to the UK in July for a state visit hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Experts say the couple's body language will be watched closely now after this viral incident.Q1. Why did Brigitte push Macron's face?Macron says they were just joking, but some experts think it was serious.Q2. Where was Macron going when the video happened?He was landing in Vietnam at the start of a tour in Southeast Asia.