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The arrival of Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, in Vietnam, the first stop on his presidential tour of Southeast Asia has pushed the diplomatic agenda aside and become the epicenter of a worldwide scandal. Everything began with an unexpected video that captured the First Lady’s controversial gesture, which has circled the globe and unleashed a tsunami of criticism on social media and in the press.
What exactly happened?
Upon landing in Hanoi, the instant the door of the official aircraft opened, Brigitte can be seen giving her husband a slap on the face. A confused Macron looks outward, aware that cameras have witnessed this awkward moment. Seconds later, we see the president collect himself and lean forward, smiling, to greet those present. As he descends the stairs, Macron turns to offer his arm to his wife, as he usually does, but Brigitte ignores him and opts to hold the handrail while leaving the plane, seemingly hinting at some tension between the pair.
While some viewers see the moment as a slap, others insist it was nothing more than a playful gesture. What’s clear is that it sparked a global controversy. The video went viral immediately, with a flood of comments and speculation.
Élysée and Macron Respond
The Élysée officials tried to downplay the matter, even suggesting at first that the images might have been digitally altered.
However, after the footage’s authenticity was confirmed, the story changed, and presidential spokespeople described the incident as a “minor disagreement” or even “a joke” between the couple. “It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing before the trip began. They were joking. It was a moment of complicity,” sources close to the presidency explained.
Macron later spoke to the press and said they were joking around. “We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” he said, adding that the incident was being overblown into “a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.”
The scene has all the ingredients to become one of the most talked-about moments of the year: a presidential couple under the spotlight, an unexpected (perhaps controversial) gesture, and a spontaneous reaction in front of the cameras.
Whether it was a joke or a sign of tension, that quick slap on the face has dominated coverage of the trip. A brief moment on the plane stairs is getting more attention online than any speech or meeting, showing how a single video can outshine the entire agenda.