Latest news with #Elysée
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Business
- LeMonde
Macron tries to promote his 'third way' in Indonesia
Emmanuel Macron departed Indonesia on Thursday, May 29, hand in hand with his wife, Brigitte, bidding farewell from the presidential A330 to his host, Prabowo Subianto. The French president was concluding the second leg of a Southeast Asian tour that had taken him to Vietnam earlier in the week and would take him to Singapore, where he was set to open the Shangri-La Dialogue, a summit on industry and defense, on Friday. Alongside the ceremonial honors extended by the Indonesian president, Macron secured a collection of partnership promises and business commitments, in areas from agri-food to cinema, allowing France to tap into what he called the "new Indonesian wave." The Elysée said "€17 billion in contracts" were signed in Jakarta, without disclosing any details about the deals. In the defense sector, Paris had hoped to sell additional Rafale fighter jets, following an order of 42 aircraft in 2022. For now, Indonesia only signed a letter of intent on Wednesday, committing to purchase "additional Rafales from Dassault, as well as light frigates, Scorpène submarines from Naval Group and Caesar cannons and their munitions from KNDS France," Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X (formerly Twitter).
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Moment Macron tries to laugh off ‘disturbing' Brigitte slap in mocking wave as he steps off plane arm in arm with wife
THIS is the strange moment Emmanuel Macron appeared to laugh off the now viral incident when his wife "slapped" him on board a plane. The French president's hand creeps round the corner of his jet's entrance for a brief, mocking wave 3 France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from a plane upon their arrival in Jakarta Credit: EPA 3 Macron gives a brief, mocking wave before exiting the plane 3 It comes after Macron was slapped in the face by his wife as he prepares to disembark plane in Hanoi earlier in the week Credit: AP After a brief moment, he walks out into full view at the top of the plane's stairs - But this time, he locks arms with his wife Brigitte as they head out to greet officials. Macron gives the cameras a thumbs up as the couple begin to descend the stairs. It was all read more in world news The shocking moment saw Macron appearing to be shoved in the face by his wife as they prepared to disembark in Hanoi, Vietnam. It came just as the plane door was being opened, with the president appearing to only notice a second later that the push was in plain view. He then gives an awkward quick wave to the crowd before darting out of sight. To start with the Elysée tried to suggest the footage was fake or AI generated. Most read in The US Sun Officials would later concede the clip was real, but said it was actually a sign of the couple's "closeness". Macron later attacked "crackpot" conspiracy theorists who claimed it showed strain in his marriage to Brigitte. Bizarre moment Emmanuel Macron is SLAPPED by his wife Brigitte while 'bickering' as they got off plane in Vietnam He told reporters in Hanoi that they had been "joking around, as we do quite often". An aide added: "It was a moment when the president and his wife were unwinding one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh - it was a moment of complicity." This is why the couple's arrival in Indonesia is reported to have been intricately planned in a bid to dispel rumours around their relationship. It all transpired while Macron was on a week-long tour of South East Asia in a drive to improve regional ties. Macron's wife Brigitte, 72, is nearly 25 years the French president's senior. They famously met when he was just 15 years old, as she had been one of his schoolteachers. What does the body language say? Our body language expert Judi James takes a look at the shocking moment Macron appears to be slapped by his wife. Judi said: "I find it shocking that they've attempted to explain it by saying that it was just play, just a couple letting off steam. "Her hand comes out and presses against his face, and if anybody wants to try this on themselves, you'll feel how vulnerable it makes you feel. "Macron looks rather shocked. We can see later on, if we look at a close up of his hand, we can see that it's bored into a fist. The knuckles look white - so clearly a lot of pent up tension. "These are veterans of being on the world stage. "They know that when the plane lands, if they did want to have a little bit of fun and laughter, they would do it before they got to the plane door. "When we see them emerging, there's this attempt to sort of do a glow up, to pretend that nothing happened. "That's not normal body language behaviour in any relationship. I find it very worrying, as well as disturbing." The couple would marry more than a decade later when he was 29 and she was 54 years. Emmanuel Macron would be elected President of France 10 years later, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the office . Reflecting on the "slap" moment, Macron also noted that other viral videos featuring him have featured outright disinformation. This included reference to a fake claim that a video taken on the way to Kyiv showed he had a bag of cocaine with him. He said people "have thought I shared a bag of cocaine, tussled with the Turkish president, now that I'm having a domestic dispute with my wife." "None of this is true. Everyone needs to calm down," Macron added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Macron mocks Brigitte ‘shove' on arrival in Indonesia
Macron mocks Brigitte 'shove' with a wave on arrival in Indonesia | Credit: Reuters Emmanuel Macron mocked the 'shoving' incident with his wife Brigitte as he departed the presidential plane in Indonesia on Wednesday. The French president stuck one hand out for the cameras, performing a tongue-in-cheek wave, before appearing at the top of the stairs, laughing. Instead of a shove, after a few seconds of suspense, Mrs Macron appeared, all smiles. The couple then locked arms, Mr Macron gave a thumbs up, and they descended the stairs side-by-side to greet officials. The departure was deliberately staged to make light of Monday's apparent squabble, sources said. Credit: Reuters Mr and Mrs Macron sparked a global furore after footage showed the French first lady raising her hand and pushing her husband's face, moments before they exited their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Elysée initially suggested it was fake, AI-generated footage, only to later admit the images were real but were in fact a sign of 'closeness' and horseplay after a 16-hour flight. Mr Macron later blamed 'crackpot' conspiracy theorists for seeking to intensify speculation around the state of his marriage. In a fresh bid to quell continued speculation that the couple had fallen out, they chose to play up their departure from the presidential plane in Jakarta on Wednesday. A member of Mr Macron's entourage told France Info that the sequence was a deliberate send-up. 'Yes, they wanted to respond with self-deprecation,' the source was cited as saying. It was 'a gesture that will be seen as humorous by some... and provocative by others', suggested the state radio station. The spoof came hours after Mr Macron's communications team was reportedly in disarray over the 'shove', with splits reportedly emerging on how to handle the incident. The panicked reaction, and about-turn, reflected simmering 'tensions within the Elysée's communications unit', according to France Info. One Macron ally told the channel that the Elysée 'ballsed up' by first talking about fake images. Another insisted that they had to act quickly, adding: 'When they don't, it turns into the conspiracy theory sphere. We're in a world where there's a need for clarity so as not to let crazy stuff flourish.' Mr Macron shrugged off the incident, saying: 'My wife and I were squabbling, or rather we were joking, and I was taken by surprise. Now it has become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories.'But Jean-Claude Dassier, a Europe1 commentator, bemoaned a 'catastrophic' PR reaction over what for him was 'clearly a row', but not an affair of state.'Why haven't we heard from Brigitte?' he asked. 'For once, it would have been useful to have her plain and simple explanation.'Meanwhile, Olga Ciesco, a body language expert, insisted the initial incident was a dispute of some kind. While not a 'slap', the shove was 'a gesture of rejection', she told the celebrity magazine Gala.'She puts her hand on his cheek and pushes him to the point where he is forced to turn his head,' she said. 'He was rejected, a kind of rebuff. 'We can also see that he is reaching out to his wife, because he is used to supporting her, out of gallantry. But she doesn't take his hand, she doesn't accept his help. She is clearly saying no.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
France's first couple Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in an apparent marital dispute, claims report
A viral video appearing to show a tense exchange between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron has ignited a media firestorm, prompting the Elysée to scramble for damage control. Initially dismissing the video as AI-generated, the president's team later confirmed its authenticity, insisting it was a lighthearted moment. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What really happened in the viral 'push' video? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why did the Elysée flip-flop on its response? Was the response from Macron's team effective? How did the Elysée's handling of the video backfire? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Is this really a sign of deeper marital trouble? How is President Emmanuel Macron addressing the rumors? FAQs A short video of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte , went viral this week, depicting what many believed to be a tense situation. The incident has sparked wild speculation and serious PR viral video of France's first couple sparked rumors of a marital dispute , causing the French president's communications team to Elysée is now scrambling to control the narrative, despite Macron's claim that the reaction is overblown, absurd, and fueled by to reports, Emmanuel Macron's communications team is in disarray over the shove, with disagreements over how to respond to the commotion surrounding the viral video of France's first couple in Vietnam allegedly the disputed video, Mrs. Macron was seen pushing her husband's face and raising her hand just before they disembarked from their presidential jet on Sunday night to be met by representatives in Hanoi, as per a report by The Elysée first implied that it was an AI-generated video, which sparked a furor of online response. After initially denying and then confirming the footage's authenticity, the Elysée insists it was a lighthearted acknowledged that the assertions that France's first couple was fighting were Elysée assistant remarked that it was a time when the president and his spouse were laughing and unwinding one final time before the trip began and it was rather a moment of closeness."Simmering "tensions within the Elysée's communications unit" were reflected in the panicked response and U-turn, according to state radio station France Info."When they don't, it turns into the conspiracy theory sphere, and we're in a world where there's a need for clarity so as not to let crazy stuff flourish," said another, emphasizing the urgency of their action, as per a report by The spin doctors were having trouble setting the correct tone, according to France Info. It claimed that the Élysée "almost presents itself as a news fact-checking unit on its social networks, issuing one denial after another,' as per a report by The of the underlying circumstances, Europe1 radio commentator Philippe Guibert described the response as a "very, very poor communication exercise.""Considering how absurd it is in comparison to current events around the world, it would have been best to remain silent and wait for it to end."Jean-Claude Dassier, another commentator, lamented a "catastrophic" public relations response to what he saw as "clearly a row" but not a state Match, a weekly glossy magazine, defended the Macrons with an adoring photo story that featured France's first couple looking gorgeous: "Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron forget the row and get their smile back at a state dinner in Vietnam."It stated, "Their faces revealed nothing of the controversy raging on social media and in the French media.""On Monday evening, as part of the couple's official visit to Vietnam, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron were beaming and at ease while attending the state dinner hosted by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and his wife, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet."Mr. Macron attacked "crackpot" conspiracy theorists on Monday night for trying to amplify rumors about his marital cited recent false accusations that he had engaged in cocaine use with Sir Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz, the chancellor of Germany, and that he had a physical altercation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who grabbed his Macron told reporters that his wife and he were not arguing but rather joking, which surprised said it has 'become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories.'People have watched videos for three weeks and think I shared a bag of cocaine, had a mano-a-mano with a Turkish president, and am having a domestic dispute with my wife.'In these three videos, I took a tissue, shook someone's hand, and joked with my wife, as we often do. Nothing else,' he said. 'None of this is true, so everyone should relax," as per a report by The video is real. The Elysée later confirmed it but explained that it was just a playful moment between the Elysée denies any dispute, and Macron claims it was just light teasing, not a sign of conflict.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Macron team in chaos over Brigitte ‘shove'
Emmanuel Macron's communications team is in disarray over the Brigitte 'shove', with splits reportedly emerging on how to handle the furore over viral footage of France's first couple in an apparent marital dispute in Vietnam. The video in question showed Mrs Macron raising her hand and pushing her husband's face moments before they stepped off their presidential jet to be greeted by delegates in Hanoi on Sunday evening. With online reaction snowballing, the Elysée initially suggested that it was fake, AI-generated footage. In a sharp reversal, it later admitted that the images were real, but that claims France's First Couple were having some kind of dispute were wide of the mark. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness,' said an Elysée aide. The panicked reaction – and u-turn – reflected simmering 'tensions within the Elysée's communications unit' according to state radio channel France Info. One Macron ally told the channel that the Élysée 'ballsed up' by first talking about fake images. Credit: Reuters Another insisted that they had to act quickly: 'When they don't, it turns into the conspiracy theory sphere, we're in a world where there's a need for clarity so as not to let crazy stuff flourish.' France Info said Elysée spin doctors were struggling to set the right tone. 'On its social networks, the Élysée almost presents itself as a news fact-checking unit, issuing one denial after another,' it said. Philippe Guibert, a commentator on Europe1 radio, said that whatever really happened behind the scenes, the reaction smacked of a 'very, very poor communication exercise'. 'The best thing would have been to say nothing and wait for it to die down because it's ridiculous compared to current world events.' Fellow commentator Jean-Claude Dassier also bemoaned a 'catastrophic' PR reaction over what for him was 'clearly a row' but not an affair of state. 'Why haven't we heard from Brigitte? For once, it would have been useful to have her plain and simple explanation.' Paris Match, the weekly glossy magazine, leapt to the Macrons' aid with a fawning photo story showing France's first couple looking radiant and entitled: 'Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron forget the row and get their smile back at a state dinner in Vietnam.' 'Their faces betrayed nothing of the controversy raging in the French media and on social networks,' it wrote. 'Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron were all smiles and relaxed as they attended the state dinner hosted by Vietnamese president Luong Cuong and his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet on Monday evening as part of the couple's official visit to the country.' On Tuesday, the couple was seen arm in arm as the president arrived at Hanoi's University of Science and Technology to deliver a speech. On Monday night, Mr Macron blasted 'crackpot' conspiracy theorists for seeking to intensify speculation around the state of his marriage. He pointed out that he had recently been falsely accused of taking cocaine with Sir Keir Starmer and Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz, and of having a physical altercation with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who held onto his finger. 'My wife and I were squabbling, we were rather joking, and I was taken by surprise,' Mr Macron told reporters. Now it has 'become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories', he added. 'For three weeks, there have been people who have watched videos and who think that I shared a bag of cocaine, that I had a mano-a-mano with a Turkish president and now that I am having a domestic dispute with my wife. 'In these three videos, I took a tissue, shook someone's hand and just joked with my wife, as we do quite often. Nothing more,' he went on. 'None of this is true… so everyone needs to calm down.' Meanwhile, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who had actively promoted the cocaine disinformation earlier this month, wrote on Telegram that Mr Macron had received 'a right hook from his wife'. She said Mr Macron's advisers would try to explain away the gesture by blaming Russia. She quipped: 'Maybe it was the 'hand of the Kremlin?'' Mr Macron's visit to Vietnam, the first by a French president in almost a decade, comes as he aims to boost France's influence in south-east Asia and position the country as a 'third way' between the US and China.
