Brigitte Macron and her Elysee Palace entourage are becoming increasingly influential and turning her husband Emmanuel into an alpha male strongman with boxing workout photoshoots, insiders claim

Since he secured a second term in the Elysée Palace in Paris two years ago, Emmanuel Macron’s presidency has been anything but smooth sailing.

In the April 2022 elections, Macron defeated far-right Marine Le Pen in a second vote, but was heavily criticized after his opponent received more votes than any far-right candidate in France’s history and strengthened her National Rally (RN) party as a party. important player 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 poll well ahead of the president’s Renaissance Party, ahead of the European elections in June.

And so it seems that in the depths of the Elysée Palace a decision has been made that Macron is going to get a little image makeover.

His personal photographer Soazing de la Moissonnière caused a stir in France last week when she released two photos of the French president punching a punching bag, his face a picture of steely determination, chiselled biceps rippling from beneath his shirt.

The black-and-white photos, which were hailed as a display of “ultimate masculinity” according to a French newspaper, were the latest in a series of perfectly composed images that were part of a campaign to blast Macron’s reputation as a know-it-all. all nonsense, and recast him as a renaissance action man.

And it is France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, who is reportedly the catalyst behind her husband’s transformative PR offensive.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron wait to welcome the Lithuanian President 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 released images of the French president punching a punching bag.

Macron’s boxing photo is just the latest in a campaign of staged shots reportedly intended to portray the Elysée Palace chief as a dashing, capable and admirable representative of France

Images of Macron published by his personal lenswoman have captured the French leader’s looks, confidence and charm as well as his masculinity and physical capabilities

Macron is seen holding his blue jacket over his shoulder as he looks at his phone

Brigitte understands the importance of optics all too well.

A whopping twenty-four years older than her husband (the couple began an affair when Macron was just a schoolboy and she his teacher), Mrs. Macron has spent Emmanuel’s entire political career fending off criticism.

Brigitte has also been the subject of a vicious conspiracy theory suggesting she is transgender, which has been perpetuated by influential American commentator Candace Owens, among others.

Now she is said to be the mastermind behind her husband’s political revival, working with a group of trusted advisers – including former media commentator and Macron’s unofficial right-hand man Bruno Roger-Petit – to give the president an image overhaul, according to an exposé. by a French newspaper Le Monde.

Brigitte is also believed to be close to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a handsome 35-year-old described as Macron’s “mini-me” and who could challenge the youthful Bardella in a 2027 presidential shootout if his mentor time has. at the 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 and sensible ‘thunder’ who has driven unprecedented numbers of conservative French voters to the RN.

Images of Macron published by his personal lenswoman have captured the French leader’s looks, confidence and charm as well as his masculinity and physical capabilities.

From photos of the president flashing a winning smile as he lay on a mustard-colored couch with an unbuttoned shirt revealing his hairy chest, to the already infamous photos of his boxing training – eEach photo serves to encapsulate Macron as a man of both style and substance.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron walk while attending 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 20, 2024

Macron and his wife are seen next to Elton John and David Furnish

Emmanuel Macron appears deep in thought in another artful black-and-white shot

It is said that Macron’s PR drive seeks to portray him as the complete package, equal parts style and substance

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) poses with the crowd 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 March 8, 2024

Just two weeks ago, the French president ended years of efforts to maintain good relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when he announced the prospect of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine. should not be ‘excluded’.

He also chastised Putin for threatening the use of nuclear devices and reminded him that France also has an advanced weapons program in shockingly brash 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 will ever actually set foot in Ukraine, or whether police will make any progress against the entrenched narcotics gangs that control much of Marseille’s suburbs.

The chances of either prospect becoming reality are slim. But Macron’s very public efforts to highlight both efforts will likely help cement his position in the eyes of the French electorate.

French journalist Gael Tchakaloff, whose biography entitled “As Long as We Are Together” delved deeply into the Macron marriage, said his sources claimed that Brigitte is “dedicated to her husband’s success” and inextricably involved in the daily agenda of the president.

From the ‘Madame Wing’ of the Elysée Palace, she is in constant contact with her husband, who reportedly calls her every 90 minutes to discuss ideas and check in.

With such a close relationship with her husband and influential influence over key figures in the palace, Mrs. Macron can certainly claim a lot of credit if Emmanuel and his Renaissance party return to favor with the French public.