Great-nephew of President Macron’s wife Brigitte is beaten outside his chocolate shop

French First Lady Brigitte Macron’s second cousin, who runs the family’s largest chocolate shop, has been beaten up in an apparently politically motivated attack, police and family sources said on Tuesday.

Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was attacked Monday night by anti-government protesters outside the famous Trogneux chocolate shop in Amiens, northern France, his father said.

The 30-year-old was repeatedly beaten on the head, arms and legs by his aggressors, who insulted “the president, his wife and our family” before running away, his father Jean-Alexandre Trogneux said.

‘They have crossed the line. I am stunned,” he added, saying his son was being checked by a doctor and waiting for the results of a brain scan.

Local police said they had arrested eight people following the attack, which took place shortly after President Macron appeared for an interview on the country’s leading TV news program at 8pm (6pm GMT) on Monday evening.

The six men and two women were detained on Tuesday and are charged with assault, occasional bodily harm and gang violence, a local police source said.

(FILES) This photo, taken on April 25, 2017, shows a general view of the Jean Trogneux chocolate shop in Amiens, northern France, owned by the family of Brigitte Macron, wife of the French president. Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was savagely beaten outside the shop

French President Emmanuel Macron walks with his wife Brigitte Macron

Jean-Alexandre Trogneux said: ‘There were about forty protesters after the President’s speech on TF1.

“About a dozen recognized him and attacked. They beat him up, with many blows to the face.

“He was constantly beaten, as he rolled on the ground, as he tried to defend himself, as they shouted insults at the president and his wife. Neighbors intervened and then they ran away.

“He is now traumatized and needs a brain scan. Since his election, there has been an association between our company and Emmanuel Macron, and this has caused enormous problems.

“What has happened now has gone too far and I am afraid. There is no financial connection between the Trogenux chocolate business and the presidential couple, and yet we are targeted.”

Brigitte Macron’s family has run the Jean Trogneux chocolate shop in the center of her hometown of Amiens for six generations, specializing in a sweet local almond-based treat known as the Amiens Macaron.

She met her husband when he was a student and she was a teacher at a private school in the city in the 1990s.

The Trogneux family business, which has since expanded across northern France, has been repeatedly targeted by protesters during Macron’s six years in power, amid rumors – repeatedly denied – that the first family would acquire a financial interest in the company. to have.

Brigitte Macron met her husband when he was a student and she was a teacher at a private school in the city in the 1990s

Macron has led the largest demonstrations in a generation over pension reforms, including raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 later this year. He pushed the measures through without a parliamentary vote – sparking outrage across the country.

During protests in April, one of his favorite restaurants in Paris, the chic brasserie La Rotonde, caught fire.

But this is the first time family members have been targeted.

Both Mr Macron, 45, and Mrs Macron, 70, were born and raised in Amiens, the capital of the Somme department.

She was a married mother of three when she started a relationship with then schoolboy Emmanuel Macron.

The unrest during protests in recent years, as well as attacks on the offices of local and state legislators, have sparked debate over whether the country is becoming more intolerant and prone to violence.

The mayor of a village in western France announced his resignation last week after a suspected arson attack at his home, which caused a stir among fellow politicians.

Yannick Morez from the village of Saint Brevin had been repeatedly targeted by far-right activists for his support of a local refugee shelter.

Interior Ministry statistics showed that reported acts of physical or verbal abuse against lawmakers increased 32 percent year-on-year in 2022, as the country held parliamentary and presidential elections.