Macron and wife's interaction in Vietnam clarified by Elysee

Monday 26 May 2025 - 14:33

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office addressed a brief moment during their arrival in Vietnam that sparked speculation. A video showed Brigitte Macron seemingly pushing the president’s face as they stepped off the presidential plane at the start of their Southeast Asia visit. This caused Macron to step back momentarily before regaining composure and greeting the press.

An official from the Elysee Palace dismissed any suggestion of tension between the couple, married since 2007, explaining the incident as a light-hearted moment. “It was a brief instance when the president and his wife shared a laugh and relaxed together before beginning the trip,” the spokesperson said, describing it as “a moment of closeness.”

Macron’s trip marks the first visit by a French president to Vietnam in nearly ten years. It aims to strengthen France’s ties and influence in its former colony. Vietnam’s economy, largely reliant on exports, has recently made trade concessions to the United States to avoid tariffs as high as 46%. However, the European Union remains concerned that Vietnam’s increased purchases of American goods could negatively impact European trade interests.