UK Edition
Petition calls to block Brigitte Macron becoming French First Lady
A petition calling to block the wife of Emmanuel Macron from getting official status as First Lady has received over 200,000 signatures amid growing discontent with the new French president.
By Monday afternoon, more than 213,000 people had signed the petition, which said no public money should be set aside for Mrs Macron.
Mr Macron's pre-election promise to make an official position for his wife has turned heads particularly as the government is soon to pass a law preventing MPs from hiring family members as assistants as part of his own anti-corruption drive.
“At a time when French public life is being moralised, at a time when a decree banning MPs from employing members of their family is being voted … we cannot decently approve of an initiative giving President Macron’s wife a specific status,” the petition, which was launched two weeks ago, reads.
“Brigitte Macron currently has a team of two or three aides, as well as two secretaries and two security guards. That's enough," says the petition.
“If we should indeed tackle the question of having a First Lady, it should be answered via a referendum and not by a single man.”
Though Mrs Macron is frequently referred to as the 'First Lady' in French and international press, she has no official status under the constitution. However, spouses of the president are entitled to security and staff and an office that auditors say costs around €450,000 annually.
Polls have shown Mr Macron’s popularity has taken a hit in the three months since he has been France’s president.
One poll from late July found that 49 per cent of French people had a negative view of Mr Macron, down from 64 per cent when he came to the post.