France is going through a complex political climate. This Monday, the nation's Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, resigned from his post, leaving the nation in shock and his party scrambling. President Emmanuel Macron has given the government two days to find a solution to avoid plunging the country into elections, a decision that could ultimately impact his own voter turnout.
Through it all, the French President has been leaning on his wife, Brigitte Macron, for support, with the two maintaining a committed marriage for the past two decades.
A love story filled with obstacles
© Getty ImagesEmmanuel and Brigitte Macron have been the subject of controversy throughout their relationship. The pair share a 25-year age gap, one that's been scrutinized by the public and the media.
Making matters all the more complicated was the start of their love story, which began when Macron was a teen and a student at a private school in Amiens, his hometown. There he met Brigitte, his literature teacher, who was at the time married, sharing three kids with her then-husband.
The pair reportedly didn't maintain a romantic relationship through these years, but Macron was in love with her, telling her that he would marry her in the future, a promise that came true in 2007. "In the end, love was more important than anything, and I ended up getting a divorce. I couldn't help it," said Brigitte in an interview.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe airplane kerfuffle
In May of this year, the couple made headlines again after an awkward moment was captured on camera, showing Brigitte shoving Macron's face, with the moment captured through the plane's open door. Macron was recorded catching the camera's lens and waving towards it.
While the exchange prompted a lot of conversation, Macron and the French government issued statements, making it clear that there was no rift between the couple. “We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” he said.
© LUDOVIC MARINHis office also published a statement. “It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists."
Despite the incessant media coverage of the incident, the couple remains united. Brigitte and Emmanuel were photographed enjoying themselves on a family vacation, where they were joined by Brigitte's grandkids. The group was spotted in the South of France, riding jet skis and enjoying a sunny day in the sun.
© The Grosby Group
