Macron and Brigitte look the picture of love during holiday in France

Je t’aime! Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte look the picture of love during holiday in France as the president shows off his physique and enjoys some snorkelling and jet-ski riding

• A bare-chested Macron, 45, was seen soaking up the sun alongside the French First Lady Brigitte, 70
• Snorkelling and jetskiing were on the agenda, with both enjoying a dip before snuggling up on a yacht

Emmanuel Macron made waves in the South of France last week as the French president and his wife Brigitte indulged in a sun-soaked holiday aboard a luxurious yacht off the picturesque shores of Porquerolles Island. 

A bare-chested Macron, 45, was seen standing confidently aboard the yacht delivering his best action hero pose, before donning a snorkel and diving beneath the azure blue of the French Riviera. 

Jetski escapades were also on the agenda, with Macron ripping along the waves as Brigitte, 70, looked on from the deck. 

The pair were later snapped enjoying a cosy moment together, with Macron grinning lovingly at his wife as they snuggled up together on the bow of the vessel.  

France’s First Couple were likely in dire need of a holiday after what has been a torrid year for the Macron presidency, characterised by weeks of violence and widespread rioting after the Head of State forced controversial pension forms through Parliament without a vote and raised the retirement age by two years to 64.

But critics will undoubtedly be angered by the sun-soaked scenes, particularly given the recent military coup and associated anti-French revolts in West Africa’s Niger, as well as Macron’s recent order to vacation-loving French ministers to keep their holidays low-key amid rising public discontent. 

A bare-chested Macron, 45, was seen standing confidently aboard the yacht delivering his best action hero pose

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte enjoy a boat day in Porquerolles island during their presidential holidays in South of France

Macron is seen speeding on a jetski off Porquerolles

Macron is seen snorkelling as his wife Brigitte looks on from the yacht, July 31, 2023

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte enjoy a boat day in Porquerolles island during their presidential holidays in South of France. 31 Jul 2023

Macron clutches his snorkelling gear as aides appear to ready a jetski for Brigitte

How France has burned under Macron with anti-cop riots, crippling Yellow Vest strikes and violent protests over pensions during his six-year reign 

Just last week, Macron was scolding his spy chief over his failure to predict the Niger coup, claiming that the director of France‘s foreign intelligence agency, Bernard Émié, should have foreseen the overthrowing of President Bazoum by a junta on July 26.

But the director of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) said that he had issued a warning earlier this year and that it was ignored by the government.

The coup in Niger represents a major setback for Macron, raising questions about France’s military presence in the country and wider strategy in Africa, analysts say. 

The overthrowing of democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum is the third such putsch in the region in three years, following similar clashes in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that forced French troops to pull out.

And in late July, Macron himself told French ministers to keep their holidays modest this summer out of fear of stoking resentment among voters.

The French President and his government have been rocked by crisis after crisis in recent months, and so Macron is eager to keep angry voters placated.

In a country that holds its holidays dear and resents the idea of working during time off, ministers are looking to demonstrate their dedication. Many have made it clear they will be taking their laptops with them, and that they will be staying with friends or family to cut costs rather than booking hotels or rentals in an attempt to show they are like any other French citizen.

This evidently did not stop the Macrons from trading the halls of the Élysée Palace for the allure of the French Riviera at the end of July. 

Brigitte Macron watches on as her husband races a jetski off the island of Porquerolles in the South of France

Macron (L) prepares to dive beneath the surface after donning his snorkelling gear. His wife Brigitte (R) puts on her goggles and flippers before following him

Macron rides a jetski

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte enjoy a boat day off Porquerolles island during their presidential holidays in South of France

The Macrons have remained a united front since they first met more than two decades ago, and their love story has been the subject of both admiration and intrigue at home and abroad. 

The couple’s love story began when Macron, then a 15-year-old high school student, encountered Brigitte, his 39-year-old literature teacher, who was married with three children.

The teacher and her pupil had collaborated on a school play and were both captivated by one another.

Speaking about their intense connection, Macron said: ‘Every Friday I went to write a play with her for several hours. We spoke about everything. And I discovered we had always known one another.’

Brigitte meanwhile, whose eldest daughter was in the same class as Emmanuel, said she was captivated by the future President’s ‘exceptional intelligence’. 

The age difference of nearly 25 years did nothing to deter their passionate bond. In 2006, Brigitte divorced her husband and the Macrons have been together ever since. 

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