French President Macron slapped by his wife

French President Emmanuel Macron began his Southeast Asia tour with a first stop in Vietnam. However, an incident at the start of the official visit occurred as he was disembarking from the plane. In the released footage, Macron is seen arguing with his wife, Brigitte Macron.

In the footage in question, it is clearly visible that Brigitte Macron makes a sharp movement toward her husband Emmanuel Macron's face and then pushes him.

In the footage captured by the Associated Press in Hanoi, Macron appears first when the plane door opens. Shortly after, Brigitte Macron's arms enter the frame, and the moment she pushes him with contact toward the French President's face is recorded.

Macron, who appears momentarily stunned by what happened, composes himself and waves to the crowd before descending from the plane. Brigitte Macron's face is not visible in the footage due to the camera angle.

The behavior of the couple as they descended the protocol stairs also drew attention. Brigitte Macron refused to take the hand extended by her husband, Emmanuel Macron.

After the incident spread rapidly on social media, the Élysée Palace initially claimed the footage was not authentic. However, the accuracy of the footage was acknowledged shortly thereafter.

"HARMLESS SPAT"

A friend from Macron's inner circle described the incident as a "harmless spat" between a simple couple.

Another presidential source stated that the incident should not be exaggerated, telling journalists:

"It was a moment where the President and his wife were joking around to relieve stress before the trip."

The same source also used the phrase, "This is a moment of togetherness. There was no need for more to carry water to the mill of conspiracy theorists," blaming pro-Russian accounts for the negative comments made about the incident.

Vietnam marks the first step of Macron's Southeast Asia tour, where he aims to strike a balance between China and the US and position France as a reliable alternative in the region. The tour is expected to last about a week.

News Source : 12punto