By Thomas Dupaquier
Rabat – President-elect Emmanuel Macron claims that misogyny, the prejudice against women, is to blame for assumptions he is unable to love his 24 years older wife.
In a discussion with reporters from Le Parisien, Emmanuel Macron brought up his relationship with his wife Brigitte Trogneux Macron following speculations that their wedding was not valid due to the large age difference.
President-elect Macron argued that if his wife had been 24 year younger than him, nobody would have questioned their relationship. He said that because she is much older than him, their relationship is untenable. Macron claims these concerns were due to widespread “misogyny” as people have “traditional, homogenous” views of society and are not open to change.
The media hasn’t stopped talking about the age difference between Trogneux and Macron, although little fuss is usually made when older men marry younger women. U.S. President Donald Trump, for example, is also about 23 years older than his wife, Melania Trump.
Due to their focus on the couple’s age difference, the media has largely ignored her considerable intelligence, professional and the importance she holds for her husband. While the role of first lady has no real power in France, Macron has already announced she would probably have a formal role, focusing around the development of education and other issues affecting young French people.
The couple first met when Mr. Macron was a 15 years old drama student and they worked together on a play. Ms. Trogneux was already married with three children. While it is unclear when their relation started, the couple eventually married in 2007.
Macron also took this opportunity to address rumors that he was gay. He claims that there is unfortunately a “rampant homophobia” in France as people would accuse him of being a homosexual as if it were a plague. The President-elect said such rumors about him were “destabilizing” for those who were closest to him and he was “sad” that politics was not more “civilized”.
Trogneux hasn’t let the onslaught of insulting nicknames keep her from supporting her husband throughout the campaign and is a symbol of defiance to all those that criticized their relationship.
