Macron Humiliated on Tarmac as Brigitte Strikes Him in Public

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

French First Lady’s “Joke” Sparks Controversy as Elysee Backpedals on Denial

Algiers, Algeria | May 26th, 2025 — French President Emmanuel Macron was involved in what many media outlets have described as a “humiliating” incident during his arrival in Vietnam, as part of a tour of Southeast Asia. The controversy erupted after Macron was struck by his wife, Brigitte Macron, in an unexpected and public gesture.

The incident occurred just before the couple disembarked from the presidential aircraft. Eyewitnesses and local footage suggest that Brigitte gave the French President what was described as a “playful slap” or a tap with a shoehorn-like object — colloquially referred to in French-Algerian slang as a “saqala” — leading to a media frenzy.

Initially, the Élysée Palace moved quickly to deny the occurrence altogether. However, following mounting pressure and the emergence of visual evidence, the presidential office reversed its stance, conceding that the First Lady was merely “joking” with her husband and that the incident was misinterpreted.

Nonetheless, the moment—whether in jest or not—was widely circulated and analyzed, with critics arguing that such behavior, even if playful, undermines the dignity of presidential protocol during official diplomatic visits.

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