Macron's fragrance overpowering aides in Elysée Palace

Telegraph

03-04-2025

Emmanuel Macron wears so much cologne that aides 'scent' his presence before he enters the room, according to a new book on life at the Elysée Palace.
In what is seen as a deliberate 'attribute of power,' Mr Macron sprays on 'industrial amounts' of Dior Eau Savage, according to a new book.
The Tragedy of the Elysée by Le Parisien journalist Olivier Beaumont charts the 'hell' of the centrist ex-investment banker's two terms as seen from inside the presidential residence at 55 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris.
In extracts released by the capital's daily newspaper on Thursday, it is claimed that Mr Macron freshens up with the popular cologne 'at all hours of the day'.
The 100ml bottles of the eau de parfum retail at £104. Mr Macron always has 'a bottle always to hand, particularly in one of the drawers of his desk'.
The book claims: 'Less-accustomed visitors may find themselves overcome by the floral and musky scent, as refined as it is powerful. It is a sign of one thing: that the president is in the building.'
'Just as Louis XIV made his perfumes an attribute of power when he paraded through the galleries of Versailles, Emmanuel Macron uses his as an element of his authority at the Elysée,' it goes on.
Sauvage is the best selling fragrance in the world. The Dior website says: 'Yesterday's revolution is today's great legend. Absolutely modern.
'A token of good taste and refined virility, Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette is more than just a fragrance: it is synonymous with absolute elegance, an enduring 'Dior spirit' infused with modernity.
'Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette has a floral and citrus olfactory signature that is both refined and powerful, sophisticated and fresh. It is characterised by the subtle balance of San Carlo bergamot from Calabria, harvested exclusively for Dior, the vibrant touch of hedione with a unique* velvety floral quality, and a distinctive chypre trail.'
It is inextricably linked to Johnny Depp, who has been the face of its advertising since 2015. Back then, François Demachy, then Dior's perfumer-designer, set to work described its qualities as 'between brutality and nobility, strong and fragile, virile and fresh'.
Mr Macron is known to like to stage manage his virility by wearing open-necked shirts and has released black and white photos of him boxing.
'When Emmanuel Macron enters the room, you can feel it (…),' the book cites one of his former aides as saying, explaining that as a way of asserting his power, 'almost of marking his territory'.
The effect is immediate. 'It's not subtle, but it's fast. It means: watch out, here I come!' says a former aide.
'So much so that several staff members ended up joking about an expression they heard from one wing to the other: 'It smells like the president.'
It goes on: ''Olfactively, it sends a pretty strong signal. You only have to be in the Vestibule d'honneur to know whether he has been there recently or not,'admits Bruno Roger-Petit,' a top Macron aide.
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Dior is part of Bernard Arnault's LVMH empire. He is France and Europe's richest person and is seen as close to President Macron.
His wife Brigitte often sports Louis Vuitton, also an Arnault brand. The book notes: 'Even after 20 years of living together, Brigitte is still surprised by this and lets out a loud 'ohhh' when asked about her husband's smell.'
'This does not prevent her, when he sometimes flies abroad for a few days, from allowing herself a little coquetry: spraying herself lightly with her husband's perfume... to have the feeling that her man is not very far away,' the book claims.
In another extract, it transpires the French President also insists that aides keep a box of dark glasses 'each uglier than the last' to be given to guests he quizzes in the Elysée garden when the sun is out in case they forget their own.
He has a case 'containing about 20 pairs of second-hand glasses, of all shapes, not really fashionable, some with crooked arms, others with red rims, 'even a little ridiculous', from which you have to choose in order to be allowed to stay.'
It cites one minister as saying he believes it's part of Mr Macron's little game.
''Clearly, it's not meant to make us look good. I even wonder if, deep down, he doesn't get a kick out of seeing us with these things. We look so stupid,' wonders a former minister who, in his time, was subjected to his own little hazing.'
However, extremely effective: 'Once you've borrowed one of these pairs, you don't want to forget to bring your own.'
Another more serious passage confirms that contrary to popular belief at the time, Mr Macron did not call snap elections last year at the last minute after losing European elections but had planned the whole thing well in advance.
'To believe that the president of the world's seventh largest power would have decided on the idea of dissolution at the very last moment, without even having anticipated any of its consequences, is a story that does not stand up to the test of facts;' it writes.
'Brigitte had known for a long time,' it cites one regular contact of Mrs Macron's entourage as saying.
A special battle plan had even been drawn up codenamed Cleisthenes after the 'the father of Athenian democracy'.
However, it was shelved at the last minute given how badly the news went down among allies, it said. Mr Macron ended up losing his majority in parliament last July.
'When we saw that it was going wrong right from the start, everyone changed their minds,' said an elected representative who was let in on the secret,' it reads.
'Clisthène fizzled out.'