Latest news with #ÉlyséePalace
El Chorouk
5 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
European Union Distances Itself From Sansal's Support Committee
Noëlle Lenoir, president of the so-called International Committee in Support of Franco-Algerian Writer Boualem Sansal, expressed her dismay at the failure of the 'strategy of extreme restraint' adopted by the French authorities and the lack of European Union support to confront Algeria's strict handling of the Sansal case. This was the conclusion reached by the committee at a meeting of its members held on Thursday, July 17, in Paris. The committee acknowledged, according to a statement circulated to the press and largely published in French media, that its efforts over nearly eight months 'have not borne fruit.' This has prompted them to reconsider their working methods and seek out prominent figures with strong friendships with the Algerian authorities to soften their stance. In this regard, they mentioned the name of the revolutionary Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The meeting of Sansal's advocates came after hopes of a presidential pardon for the prisoner on the occasion of Independence Day, on July 5, had faded. The hopes of a humanitarian release, as they had subsequently promoted, also evaporated. The Algerian Press Agency settled the controversy once and for all, confirming that Sansal would not be released and that the decision of the Algerian judicial authorities would remain supreme, as President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had also stated on multiple occasions. In a desperate tone, Noëlle Lenoir spoke about the European Commission's position on the committee's efforts with her: 'They tell us they support us, but they do nothing.' This is the conclusion Lenoir reached after meeting with the working group of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and with Kaja Kallas. The French authorities were not spared criticism from the Sansal Support Committee, which attacked French President Emmanuel Macron's handling of the Sansal case. According to the committee's spokesperson, Arnaud Benedetti, 'The strategy of excessive restraint chosen by the Élysée Palace and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yielded results.' French government spokesperson Sophie Primas confirmed, after Paris confirmed that Sansal would not receive a presidential pardon, that the French authorities do not see verbal violence as a solution to the Sansal case, in a letter addressed to the Sansal Support Committee and all those who follow its approach. Commenting on the controversial statements of French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, the Élysée Palace and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot have repeatedly affirmed that the diplomatic path remains Macron's preferred option, despite the failure of all previous attempts. This is a fact that the far right, both politically and in the media, is seeking to exploit to undermine Macron's strategy and return to the logic of escalation advocated by Bruno Retailleau, whose failure has also been confirmed. The presence of former French ambassador to Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, among the committee's members is a development that is likely to further complicate the work of Sansal's defenders, given his extremist positions on Algeria. The proposals he put forward to pressure for the release of the Franco-Algerian writer were inspired by the campaign he led against Algeria for nearly a year. These included calls to abolish the 1968 historical immigration agreement between the two countries, limit the number of visas granted to Algerians, and reduce the number of Algerian consulates on French soil. As for the retired diplomat, France has not yet had its say (…), because the French authorities, he said, have not initiated any escalatory measures, although Paris unilaterally suspended the 2007 and 2013 agreements on Algerian diplomatic passports, which required the Algerian side to respond within the framework of the principle of reciprocity.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Brigitte Macron 'rejects and ignores' her husband in 'frosty' display, body language expert reveals - after THAT plane shove
Brigitte Macron repeatedly 'rejected and ignored' her husband in a 'frosty' display as they landed in the UK today, a body language expert has claimed. French President Emmanuel Macron, 47, was 'ignored' by his wife Brigitte, 72, while he offered her a hand off a plane today as they arrived in Britain to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales ahead of their three-day state visit. When President Macron held out his hand to Brigitte as she walked down the stairs, she appeared to disregard him, instead gripping the handrail, leaving Mr Macron to drop his hand. Minutes later, the Macrons were seen in a car waiting to leave the base, and relations appeared icy, with Mrs Macron looking at her phone after getting it out of her bag. Today's awkward moment comes after a shocking clip emerged of the First Lady appearing to push her husband's face away as their plane touched down in Vietnam in May. The Macrons, who have been married since 2007, have denied any abuse in their relationship, with a close associate of the president describing the moment as a harmless 'squabble' between a married couple. An official from the Élysée Palace also downplayed the footage, insisting the moment had been misinterpreted and the couple were 'having a laugh', brushing off any suggestion that tensions were running high between the French First Couple. Now, body language expert Judi James has shared further insight into the couple's latest exchange, writing, 'Brigitte might be expected to be welded to her husband's arm wearing a look of eternal devotion after that incident of the rough-looking shove with her hand, but instead here she appears to both reject and even ignore him. 'As she crab-steps down the steep stairs of the plane Macron turns in a gesture of caring concern and proffers his right hand gallantly to ensure she maintains her balance. 'But Brigitte manages to work her way down seven more steps, ignoring his hand en route and even when she gets to the ground she appears to turn straight to her hosts, ignoring him once again in the process. 'It's made very clear via some role-modelling that she's not adhering to any UK cultural norms by refusing her husband's hand. 'William and Kate performed a pitch-perfect example of how to perform the ritual when William held his hand out as Kate descended some steps and she placed her hand in his.' 'Cut by his wife, Macron was left to climb all over William instead. Their handshake involved a second hand placed over it in an act of emphatic affection by Macron, who did appear to be bending in for a cheek kiss, but then perhaps thinking better of it. 'Instead, he held the handshake for two more seconds before grabbing William's lower arm in a meaningful ritual of closeness, even intensifying that ritual by moving the hand to grab William's arm just above the elbow. 'Macron's hand went back to the lower arm and he was still shaking hands as William used his free hand to motion him towards Kate. 'Macron's role as a gallant might have been scuppered by his wife but he appeared determined to not be thwarted by Kate too, bending to plant a kiss on the back of her hand before his wife arrived to take over the conversation.' James continued to read into the couple's movements once they walked to their car, writing: 'Mrs Macron's body language signals suggested she was determined to ignore her husband's offers of help, steering or even touch here. 'She appears to hold the group up as they wait by the car, chatting to Kate and William as the door is held open for her. 'Macron smiles politely at his wife and holds his hand out to both usher and maybe to hold her hand as she gets into the car but he is again ignored as Brigitte keeps her hands firmly planted on her little clutch bag that she holds in front of her torso. 'Macron appears to give up and walk round to his own side while both an aide and William usher her into her seat. 'Once in the car the exchange between them looks possibly chilly with Brigitte appearing to pull a phone out of her bag to check the screen while her husband primes himself to wave at the fans.' It comes after Emmanuel Macron 's office admitted that his wife Brigitte hit him during a row in May, after footage showed the First Lady appearing to push his face away as their plane touched down in Vietnam. A shocking video of the incident, shot by the Associated Press news agency in Hanoi, showed the French President's plane door opening to reveal him. His wife Brigitte's arms then emerged from the left of the open doorway as she placed both hands on her husband's face and gave it a shove. Macron waved as his wife looked down on her phone following their arrival at Northolt earlier today The president appeared startled but quickly recovered and turned to wave through the open door. She remained concealed by the aircraft body, making it impossible to see her facial expression or body language. The couple then proceeded down the staircase for the official welcome by Vietnamese officials, though Brigitte Macron did not take her husband's offered arm. Macron's office initially denied the authenticity of the images, before they were confirmed as genuine. A close associate of the president later described the incident as a couple's harmless 'squabble'. An Elysee official played down the moment, denying it showed an argument between the couple, who have been married since 2007: 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh.' 'It was a moment of closeness,' the official said. Another member of his entourage played down the significance of the incident, saying: 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by joking around.' 'It's a moment of togetherness. No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,' the source added, blaming pro-Russian accounts for negative comments about the incident. The video clip circulated rapidly online, promoted particularly by accounts that are habitually hostile to the French leader. Macron cautioned that this was not the first time in recent weeks that the content of videos of him had been twisted by people he described as 'crackpots'. Today, William and Kate greeted the French leader and first lady at about 11.30am and travelled with them to Windsor to meet the King and Queen Camilla. The Princess was wearing a Christian Dior jacket, a hat by Jess Collett, Princess Diana's old earrings and a pearl necklace from Queen Elizabeth II's collection. The Christian Dior jacket is the 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents Bar Jacket from the 2024 collection. The piece was reimagined by Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, who was inspired by the original, which was first created in 1947 by Dior himself. The King's Colour Squadron formed a carpet welcome party at the airfield for the Macrons, and they were initially welcomed by the King's Ambassador to France. After meeting William and Kate, a series of dignitaries were presented to the French couple including Sir Kenneth Olisa, the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London. Others included Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Northolt station commander Captain Jonathan Hough along with Kathryn Colvin, Special Representative of the Foreign Secretary. Also in the welcome party were members of the British Suite including The Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting; and Dame Menna Rawlings, Ambassador at Paris. After the Macrons travelled to Windsor with Kate and William, Charles and Camilla formally greeted their guests on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in the town - with Windsor Castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sounded in nearby Home Park. The King was seen with a small burst blood vessel in his right eye which made it look red. It is understood this happened by accident overnight, and is not related to his cancer treatment. The King, the Queen, the Waleses and Mr and Mrs Macron then took a carriage procession through Windsor and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did on his visit in 2008. Later, the King will stress the vital partnership between France and the UK in the face of a 'multitude of complex threats' at the state banquet in honour of Mr Macron, declaring 'as friends and as allies, we face them together'. At a glittering banquet at Windsor Castle this evening, the monarch will deliver a speech, highlighting how 'these challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time'. But he will tell Mr Macron that Britain and France can help lead the way in confronting threats relating to defence, technology and climate change, saying: 'Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world.' Charles and Camilla are hosting Mr Macron and the first lady at the historic royal residence. The King, in his toast, will reflect on 1,000 years of 'shared history and culture between our two peoples', including many of the royal family's personal connections to France. 'For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other', he will say, and reveal how he remains 'in awe of France's extraordinary attributes and achievements'. Charles will also hail the Anglo-French partnership as vital amid the many challenges of today, saying: 'Our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, emanating from multiple directions. As friends and as allies, we face them together.' It marks the first state visit to the UK by an EU head of state since Brexit, and will see Mr Macron address parliamentarians in the Palace of Westminster's Royal Gallery and, on Thursday, join a UK-France Summit at Downing Street. In Windsor today, the streets were decked out in French and Union flags in celebration of the state visit. Giant Tricolores hang from the posts along the High Street where litter-pickers were out in the sunshine making sure the route was pristine - with roads along the route closing from 8.45am. Security was heightened with an enhanced police presence and teams inspecting the area around the castle and checking locations such as flower planters. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said: 'We are working closely with Thames Valley Police, the Crown Estate and other key partners, to minimise disruption to those that live and work in, or plan to visit Windsor'. Mr Macron's state visit to the UK, from today until Thursday, is the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace, in a more than a decade since that of the Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014. State visits, which capitalise on the royals' soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, will be hosted at Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at Buckingham Palace and starts to affect the state rooms. The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when the now-disgraced Mr Sarkozy, since convicted of corruption and influence peddling, and his wife Carla Bruni, were the guests of Elizabeth II at Windsor. The arrangements are likely to form the template for US President Donald Trump's high-profile state visit in September, but much will depend on security considerations for the US leader, who survived an assassination attempt last year. A ceremonial welcome will be staged in the castle's quadrangle with Camilla, William, Kate and Mrs Macron watching as the King and Mr Macron inspect the Guard of Honour. Lunch will be hosted in the State Dining Room, after which the president and his wife, the King and Queen and members of the royal family will view a special exhibition of items relating to France from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room. Mr and Mrs Macron will also travel to London this afternoon to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey and visit the Palace of Westminster where the French leader will address parliamentarians before meeting opposition leaders at Lancaster House. The King and President will both deliver speeches at the banquet in the mediaeval St George's Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room.
Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Marine Le Pen says corruption case could block presidential run
Marine Le Pen has asked Jordan Bardella, her top lieutenant, to prepare to replace her as presidential candidate for the hard-right National Rally if the appeal court upholds a bar on her entering the 2027 election. The 56-year-old populist, who is far ahead in the polling in her planned fourth run for the French presidency, was acknowledging for the first time that her conviction in March for embezzling EU funds could block her path to the Élysée Palace. Her words were a boost for her 29-year-old protégé who was elected president of the party in 2022. It is also part of a shift she is making to broaden the Rally's appeal to the conservative voters whom it needs to win in 2027. Le Pen was barred from standing for public office for five years, but, amid an outcry, the justice authorities fast-tracked her appeal so the case will be retried from scratch next spring with a verdict expected about a year before the spring 2027 elections.
Associated Press
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
A jab from 33,000 feet cools Trump–Macron ties, but is it just a passing frost?
PARIS (AP) — What began with a handshake evolved into turbulence at 33,000 feet as one of diplomacy's oddest relationships took another strange turn. The political chemistry that once defined the Trump–Macron dynamic — immortalized by a famously tense 29-second handshake in 2017 — was nowhere to be seen in midair Tuesday when U.S. President Donald Trump blasted his French counterpart on social media. As Trump departed the G7 summit early, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to reframe the exit as strategic. 'There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange,' Macron told reporters, suggesting the U.S. might help broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. But aboard Air Force One, Trump responded with a swipe that accused Macron of showboating. 'Wrong! He is 'publicity seeking' and always gets it wrong,' Trump said. 'He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington… Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!' The takedown punctured Macron's narrative and revealed a rupture in a relationship that has featured theater, flattery and touch. Macron, who once styled himself as a 'Trump whisperer,' has long used charm and proximity to try to manage the unpredictable U.S. leader, often contrasting himself with more openly critical peers like Germany's Angela Merkel. But those efforts are far from foolproof. The Élysée Palace made no formal comment on Trump's outburst. Their diplomatic style has never been purely transactional — and has often been tactile. From their earliest encounters, physical gestures have been part of the pageantry: Trump's firm pats and arm-yanks, Macron's theatrical poise and instinctive touches. The roots of their rapport run deep. In 2017, Macron dazzled Trump with a Bastille Day parade, formal dinners and white-knuckle handshakes. A viral 29-second grip — knuckles white, jaws clenched — set the tone for a relationship of theatrical dominance. The physical choreography evolved over the years: Trump yanking Macron's arm at the Élysée, Macron placing a steadying hand on Trump's thigh in Washington. Their February 2025 White House meeting brought a refined version of the dance as Macron delivered corrections with charm, countering Trump's Ukraine comments while laughing at Fort Knox jokes. Signals of strain before the summit Trump joked about Macron's marriage last month after a video of Brigitte Macron playfully pushing her husband surfaced. 'Make sure the door remains closed,' he quipped, before adding: 'They're fine.' But the chill had already begun to set in. This month, Macron traveled to Greenland — a territory Trump has floated buying — to express solidarity with Danish sovereignty. 'This is not what is done between allies,' he said, in what many interpreted as a veiled swipe at the U.S. The G7 summit, intended to project Western unity on Russia and Iran, instead showcased fracture. Trump skipped the final sessions, refused to back new Russia sanctions, and warned Tehran to 'immediately evacuate.' Macron tried to frame the early exit as useful. Trump's one-line rebuttal shut that down. But later in the flight, Trump softened his tone. When reporters asked about the outburst, he replied: 'That was Emmanuel — nice guy but he doesn't get it right too often.' The pivot was familiar. 'It's difficult to be confident about any clear arc in President Trump's reactions to people or events,' said Dana Allin, U.S. policy expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 'He tends to be disinhibited — he says what's on his mind, and that can change quickly.' There was no handshake this time. No shoulder clap. Just a flick of the thumb — and a public slap across the alliance. The dynamic, Allin suggests, reflects a shift in how Europe engages with Washington. In Trump's first term, many European leaders treated his behavior as a storm they could wait out. 'Now it seems like a more permanent thing,' Allin said.
Los Angeles Times
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Was Le Slap a love tap or an assault? France's first couple offer a distraction from bad news
Not that you asked, but yes, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the bad news out of Washington: Pardons for tax cheats who line President Trump's pockets. Talk of pardons for the violent criminals who conspired to kidnap and kill Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Dinners for crypto moguls who shower him with money. His monomaniacal quest to extinguish the light of the country's most prestigious university. His budget that will deprive millions of their healthcare coverage, while slashing taxes for the rich and swelling the $36 trillion national debt by an estimated $3.8 trillion. And don't get me started on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s inane move that could make it harder for pregnant women to get COVID-19 shots, thus depriving their infants of protection against the virus when they are vulnerable and not yet eligible for vaccination. Good heavens, I needed a distraction. Happily, it arrived in the form of an unexpected video. You may have seen it: Last Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron's wife, Brigitte, got tongues wagging when she did something that seemed entirely out of character for the painfully elegant first lady. She was caught on camera squishing her hands right into his handsome face. It looked like an act of hostility. I was intrigued. I know, I know. It's hardly world-shattering news. But who doesn't perk up a bit when the scrim of perfection that shields the private lives of high-profile, perfectly turned-out couples is torn, even for one brief moment? Who can forget the sight of First Lady Melania Trump swatting away her husband's hand during a 2017 visit to Tel Aviv? Or the way her smile faded during his first inauguration the moment he looked away from her, inspiring the #FreeMelania hashtag? For all the drama and rumor that swirled around the Clintons' marriage, I can't think of any public moment when they did not appear civil with one another, even after his disastrous relationship with a White House intern. And the Obamas? Is there any other intensely scrutinized political couple who seem so downright normal? Not that anyone ever really knows what's going on in anyone else's marriage. Which brings us back to the Macrons. His plane was on the tarmac in Hanoi, where he was kicking off a tour to strengthen ties with countries in Southeast Asia. As the plane door opened, the couple were caught unawares. A startled-looking Macron backed up as disembodied hands smushed his face. He instantly collected himself, and his wife appeared at his side. As they began to descend the staircase, he offered her his arm, which she did not take. The bizarre clip went viral, and sent the French government, known as the Élysée Palace, into what one headline described as 'chaos.' Part of the chaos stemmed from the government first claiming that the clip was not real but was possibly a deep fake created by AI and exploited by Russia to make Macron seem weak. After the Associated Press authenticated the video, the French government changed its tune, describing the moment as merely a playful interaction between the couple. Unsurprisingly, given their back story, the Macrons have been the subject of intense fascination for years. They met in 1993 at a Catholic high school in northern France when he was 15. She, nearly 40 at the time, and a married mother of three, was his drama teacher. His parents were so concerned about the impropriety of their relationship that they sent him away to Paris for his senior year. In 2006, she divorced her husband, and married Macron the following year. He was 29. She was 54. 'Of course, we have breakfast together, me and my wrinkles, him with his youth, but it's like that,' Macron told Elle France in 2017. 'If I did not make that choice, I would have missed out on my life.' Unfortunately, Le Slapgate threatened to overshadow the Macrons' trip. 'We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,' he told reporters, complaining that the incident was being overblown into 'a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' A few days later, though, he was making light of the incident. Or at least trying to. On Tuesday in Jakarta, Indonesia, as his plane door opened, another disembodied hand appeared, this time waving before Macron stepped into the camera frame smiling before he walked down the stairs arm in arm with his wife. Ha ha. For a brief moment, the squabbling of one of the world's most interesting couples gave us a much needed break from the actual geo-planetary catastrophe unfolding around us. For that, the Macrons have my gratitude. Merci, you crazy lovebirds. @ @rabcarian
