Non! 285,000 tell Macron his wife can’t be First Lady

EMMAnUEL Macron is set to abandon plans to make his wife France’s official first lady after more than 285,000 people opposed the move.

The French president wanted to give Brigitte Macron, 64, a formal role as his consort and make her the country’s first legally recognised first lady.

But by last night a petition ‘against the status of first lady for Brigitte Macron’ had more than 285,000 signatures.

Mr Macron, 39, said he wanted to ‘clarify’ his wife’s role ‘to end any hypocrisy’ over her part in public life – a move that would mean amending the constitution. Sources indicated that the president now intends to outline Mrs Macron’s main functions, and what her work costs, in a ‘transparency charter’ rather than pursing broader legal changes.

In line with previous incumbents, she already has an office at the Elysee Palace in Paris, as well as a staff of about seven.

Mr Macron’s aides have already indicated that his wife will continue to take no salary and her role will be a public rather than a political one. Previous presidents have been notorious for turbulent private lives that often saw them supporting mistresses financially.

Mr Macron’s predecessor, Francois Hollande, was caught cheating on his girlfriend, Valerie Trierweiler, with TV star Julie Gayet.

In contrast, the Macrons have conveyed a conventional image of married life in office, with the president saying that his wife ‘must be able to play a role and be recognised for that role’. Mr Macron met his wife – 25 years his senior – when she was his drama teacher at school in Amiens, northern France.

French government spokesman Christophe Castaner discussed the First Lady issue in a series of tweets yesterday, saying: ‘no modification of the constitution, no new funding, no salary for Brigitte Macron. Stop the hypocrisy!’

The affair follows numerous corruption scandals within the Paris political establishment involving family members. Welsh-born Penelope Fillon was caught receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayer cash while allegedly pretending to be parliamentary assistant to her husband, ex-prime minister Francois Fillon.

The Fillons, who deny wrongdoing, have been charged with a range of corruption offences.

‘Stop the hypocrisy’