Aides to Emmanuel Macron, the French president, insist his wife’s role will be strictly public and not politicalThe French president’s wife, Brigitte Macron, will not be given an official “first lady” title or her own budget, the French government has said following a petition against a proposed change to her status. During his election campaign, Macron promised to “clarify” his wife’s role to “end the hypocrisy” over the situation. One of Macron’s first actions after taking power was to set up a working party to examine the “first lady” position. Christophe Castaner, the government spokesman, tweeted: “Brigitte Macron has a role and responsibilities. We are looking to be transparent and to outline the means she has at her disposal.”“No modification of the constitution, no new funding, no salary for Brigitte Macron.

Source: The Guardian August 08, 2017 10:08 UTC