‘Le slap’: Brigitte Macron, schoolteacher to France’s first lady
May 30, 2025•14 min
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Episode description
Emmanuel Macron has played down a video of him being pushed in the face by his wife Brigitte, as the couple prepared to leave their plane to begin their tour of South East Asia.
The French president said he was just joking with the first lady and the incident was "nothing". But the footage has put the pair and their relationship in the global spotlight.
In today's episode, Niall Paterson talks to France 24's international affairs editor, Philip Turle, about who Brigitte Macron is, how the couple are viewed in France and the online rumours that have dogged them.
Producer: Emily Hulme and Gabriel Radus
Editor: Wendy Parker
The French president said he was just joking with the first lady and the incident was "nothing". But the footage has put the pair and their relationship in the global spotlight.
In today's episode, Niall Paterson talks to France 24's international affairs editor, Philip Turle, about who Brigitte Macron is, how the couple are viewed in France and the online rumours that have dogged them.
Producer: Emily Hulme and Gabriel Radus
Editor: Wendy Parker
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