EDITORIAL. More or less discreetly, Brigitte Macron plays politics

He is silent, she speaks. Discreet on the pension front, Emmanuel Macron devotes himself to Ukraine. And it is his wife Brigitte who makes the front page of the magazines. This week, these are confidences in the Point who dissects his influence on the head of state. A fortnight ago, it was a long interview facing the readers of the Parisian-Today in France. Early December, The Obs opened the ball. Admittedly, there is indeed a humanitarian cause, the operation yellow pieces, which justifies that the “First lady” has been exposed for a month. But it is also a pretext for playing politics.

His position is clearly conservative. A former teacher, she has made education and childhood her favorite theme. But she is not content with consensual subjects such as the fight against bullying or learning to spell. She ventures on more divisive causes: she rejects inclusive writing without appeal, pleads for the banning of cell phones, even in high school, and above all advocates the establishment of school uniforms. Because she wore for 15 years, she says, a “navy skirt and a navy sweater” : an excellent memory, even if today she would like a uniform a little less “sad”.

Disorder in the majority

With this statement, the wife of the President of the Republic openly contradicted the Minister of National Education Pap Ndiaye, already considered too discreet by some macronists. Brigitte Macron also praised the wearing of school uniforms the day the National Rally presented a bill to this effect in the Assembly.

It is aimed at the right-wing electorate, and especially retirees. Brigitte Macron has also publicly defended the pension reform. She plays on the ambiguity of the status of the “First Lady”, devoid of any democratic legitimacy. When she speaks, does she convey messages from her husband? Even within the majority, many are wondering. His appearances are also supposed to give a little roundness to the image of the head of state. But basically, the concern for him is that Brigitte Macron’s outings humanize him and make him old-fashioned… at the same time.