No paid role for Macron’s wife

Paris, August 22
The office of President Emmanuel Macron rowed back on Monday from plans to give his wife Brigitte Macron a formal, paid role, after a public backlash which threatened to undermine his broader agenda of change and modernisation.
In a statement, the presidency said Brigitte Macron would carry out “certain tasks” on behalf of the state, but would not get a salary, budget or separate office, instead working out of the Elysee Palace. More than 220,000 people signed a petition against the initial plans for her position, accusing President Macron of nepotism.
Unlike the US First Lady, the wife of the French President does not have a formal role, although they are often informal champions for charitable causes. Past French presidential wives have had small teams working for them at the Elysee, but did not receive a salary.
Nevertheless, previous arrangements concerning perks for the wives, or partners, of French presidents had lacked transparency, which President Macron had sought to challenge.
While the official role of his wife was one of Macron’s lesser priorities, the fact that he has had to scale back on this particular plan marks another setback for him.
In her first interview since her husband won the presidential election in May, Brigitte Macron told Elle magazine last week that she paid little attention to her status as France’s First Lady, adding she was happy for people to address her simply as “Brigitte.”