October 10, 2026
There was widespread dissatisfaction in French official circles after President Emmanuel Macron reacted angrily after displaying a protest banner bearing an “inappropriate” sign about his relationship with his wife, Brigitte, during a news bulletin broadcast by the public channel “France 2”.
According to what was reported by “Le Parisien” newspaper and “France Inter” radio, the French President’s anger was not limited only to the appearance of the offensive slogan, but also extended to the absence of any official apology by the television channel in response to the incident.
The banner appeared briefly on the screen during a newscast last Tuesday afternoon, before the scope of the controversy expanded and the issue received media attention after the right-wing website “Destination Telegram” published a screenshot documenting the incident and confirming that it had been broadcast live.
The background of the relationship between the president and his wife, Brigitte (73 years old), goes back to the city of Amiens in northern France, where he met her for the first time when she was working as his teacher in a private secondary school in the city.
This incident coincided with a wave of ongoing student protests throughout France since late last September. During which the protesters raised demands centered around increasing financial resources and providing additional teachers to schools, in addition to achieving structural reforms that enhance the principle of equality in the French education system.
