Brigitte Macron biography: Seven things you didn't already know about France's first lady
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 17 Jan, 2018 CET.
Updated: Wed 17 Jan 2018 17:37 CET
The first (unofficial) biography of Brigitte Macron has just hit the shelves in France. Here are seven things you didn't already know about the country's intriguing first lady.
The much-anticipated biography by Closer journalist Maëlle Brun has finally been released.
"Brigitte Macron, l'affranchie" ("Brigitte Macron, Liberated") has already garnered quite a lot of attention in France due to the revelations it includes about the erotic novel rumoured to have been penned by a teenage Emmanuel Macron, long before he became the country's youngest president.
But naturally the book isn't all about her husband.
Here are some facts about Brigitte you might not already know, at least according to the unofficial biography.
She was a figure skater
As a teenager, Brigitte Trogneux (her maiden name) was part of the figure skating team in the northern French town of Amiens, where she hails from.
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Photo: AFP
She wasn't always a teacher
Everyone knows that in a previous life Brigitte was a teacher...after all that's how she met a teenage Emmanuel Macron. But it wasn't her only job before becoming France's first lady.
In 1982 aged 29 she was hired as a press secretary at the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Chamber of Commerce.
"The experience, which lasted two years, seemed to please her, without it becoming her vocation," wrote Maëlle Brun.
The job ended in 1984 when she and her family moved to close to Strasbourg for her first husband's career.
She was into politics long before meeting Macron
During her time living in Truchtersheim near Strasbourg, Brigitte started getting involved in local life and helped to organise events in the area.
But she soon stepped things up a notch and in 1989 she threw herself into the "Truchtersheim tomorrow" campaign with her name appearing on a list promising the opening of a skate park and rent capping for young households.
She wasn't your average teacher
When she was 31 Brigitte discovered her vocation after seemingly turning to teaching by chance.
Brigitte who has a master's degree in literature sent her application and was quickly appointed to a Protestant school in the centre of Strasbourg.
She later got her secondary school teaching diploma (known as CAPES in France) and moved to the private Catholic high school, La Providence in Amiens where she met Emmanuel Macron.
According to the many ex-students interviewed in the book, the first lady was a passionate and unusual teacher who would take her students to see plays, listen to their confidences and even invite them to have a drink.
Photo: AFP
She has always worked closely with Emmanuel Macron
Since Emmanuel Macron was appointed Minister of the Economy, Brigitte Macron had held a privileged place in her husband's working life.
In the past this has included (to the shock of some) sitting on his right hand side during official meetings.
According to the book, she managed planning, the reception of the journalists and even read through speeches.
To people surprised by the situation, Macron has said that his wife is not remunerated by the taxpayer and that for him it was "non-negotiable".
The death of her sister had a big impact
In 1961, when Brigitte was a teenager, her older sister died in a car accident with her husband and their daughter who was just six-years-old.
The biography says that the trauma helped shape Brigitte's personality, leading her to build a protective shell around herself.
She lost all her friends because of her relationship with Macron
Unsurprisingly her relationship with Macron did not come easily. On top of the disapproval of his family, her friends also turned their backs on her, the biography says.
One loved one interviewed in the book claims that the couple were treated as "plague victims", saying that "overnight" close friends stopped speaking to her and refused to meet up with her.
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The much-anticipated biography by Closer journalist Maëlle Brun has finally been released.
"Brigitte Macron, l'affranchie" ("Brigitte Macron, Liberated") has already garnered quite a lot of attention in France due to the revelations it includes about the erotic novel rumoured to have been penned by a teenage Emmanuel Macron, long before he became the country's youngest president.
But naturally the book isn't all about her husband.
Here are some facts about Brigitte you might not already know, at least according to the unofficial biography.
She was a figure skater
As a teenager, Brigitte Trogneux (her maiden name) was part of the figure skating team in the northern French town of Amiens, where she hails from.
READ ALSO:
Photo: AFP
She wasn't always a teacher
Everyone knows that in a previous life Brigitte was a teacher...after all that's how she met a teenage Emmanuel Macron. But it wasn't her only job before becoming France's first lady.
In 1982 aged 29 she was hired as a press secretary at the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Chamber of Commerce.
"The experience, which lasted two years, seemed to please her, without it becoming her vocation," wrote Maëlle Brun.
The job ended in 1984 when she and her family moved to close to Strasbourg for her first husband's career.
She was into politics long before meeting Macron
During her time living in Truchtersheim near Strasbourg, Brigitte started getting involved in local life and helped to organise events in the area.
But she soon stepped things up a notch and in 1989 she threw herself into the "Truchtersheim tomorrow" campaign with her name appearing on a list promising the opening of a skate park and rent capping for young households.
She wasn't your average teacher
When she was 31 Brigitte discovered her vocation after seemingly turning to teaching by chance.
Brigitte who has a master's degree in literature sent her application and was quickly appointed to a Protestant school in the centre of Strasbourg.
She later got her secondary school teaching diploma (known as CAPES in France) and moved to the private Catholic high school, La Providence in Amiens where she met Emmanuel Macron.
According to the many ex-students interviewed in the book, the first lady was a passionate and unusual teacher who would take her students to see plays, listen to their confidences and even invite them to have a drink.
Photo: AFP
She has always worked closely with Emmanuel Macron
Since Emmanuel Macron was appointed Minister of the Economy, Brigitte Macron had held a privileged place in her husband's working life.
In the past this has included (to the shock of some) sitting on his right hand side during official meetings.
According to the book, she managed planning, the reception of the journalists and even read through speeches.
To people surprised by the situation, Macron has said that his wife is not remunerated by the taxpayer and that for him it was "non-negotiable".
The death of her sister had a big impact
In 1961, when Brigitte was a teenager, her older sister died in a car accident with her husband and their daughter who was just six-years-old.
The biography says that the trauma helped shape Brigitte's personality, leading her to build a protective shell around herself.
She lost all her friends because of her relationship with Macron
Unsurprisingly her relationship with Macron did not come easily. On top of the disapproval of his family, her friends also turned their backs on her, the biography says.
One loved one interviewed in the book claims that the couple were treated as "plague victims", saying that "overnight" close friends stopped speaking to her and refused to meet up with her.
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