マクロン仏大統領夫人、７０歳に 注目は望まず

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】フランスのエマニュエル・マクロン大統領の妻ブリジット氏が１３日、７０歳の誕生日を迎えた。だが、それについて本人がすすんで語ることは期待できそうにない。（写真はエマニュエル・マクロン仏大統領の妻ブリジット氏）
　ブリジット氏は女性誌「Ｓ」が１月に行ったインタビューで、誕生日当日に予想される大々的な報道を恐れる様子を隠そうともせずこう語っていた。「皆さん、間違いなくその話を聞くでしょう。私は当日、何一つ読まないつもり」
　ブリジット氏は１０年以上にわたり、夫との２５歳という年齢差について常に取り沙汰されてきた。前夫との間に３子をもうけたブリジット氏は、かつて仏北東部の私立校で教師として勤務しており、マクロン氏は教え子の一人だった。
　マクロン氏が公職に就くと、夫妻の結婚はセンセーショナルに取り上げられた。近年では夫妻の愛情深い親密な関係が知られ、懐疑的な声は減ったが、型破りな大統領夫妻への関心と、ブリジット氏の年齢への言及がやむことはなかった。
　同じＳ誌のインタビューでブリジット氏は「自分たちの関係性を他者に薦めたことは一度もない。そういう形もあるということであって、説明はできない。もちろん、同年代の方が楽だと思う」と語った。
　ＡＦＰはブリジット氏の広報室に誕生日の予定について問い合わせたが、公表は差し控えるとの回答だった。
　ブリジット氏は以前から、政治家の妻という立場を積極的には望んでおらず、マクロン氏が公職に就くことにも反対だったと報じられている。マクロン氏が再選を目指した昨年４月の大統領選の際も、その消極的な姿勢に変化は見られなかった。
　地方の裕福な家庭に生まれ、父は地元アミアンでチョコレート店を営んでいたというブリジット氏。夫よりも保守的とみられており、右派のニコラ・サルコジ元大統領とも友好的な関係にある。
　各国の大統領夫人に関する著作があるロベール・シュナイダー氏は「当初、ブリジット氏には二つの顔があった。（マクロン氏との結婚で）社会の慣例を打ち破った自由な女性という顔、もう一つは地方の中産階級出身でカトリック、育ちが良く装いはシックで、右派に投票する保守派の顔だ。だが現在は後者の方が優勢になっている」との見方を示した。
　フランス国内では、ブリジット氏が政策に与える影響力をめぐる臆測が絶えない。顧問らからのメッセージを大統領に届ける伝言役であると同時に、夫が自身の考えを最初に相談する人物でもある。
　教師時代は演劇を教えていたブリジット氏は、マクロン氏の演説や会見に強い関心を示し、発声やメッセージの伝え方についてアドバイスしているとされる。
　２０２１年にはルモンド紙の取材に「夫に『こうしろ、ああしろ』と言ったことは一度もない」と明言したブリジット氏。マクロン氏は、側近に対してと同じように「いつも私がどう思うかを尋ねる。その後は、自分がしたいようにしている」という。
　Ｓ誌に若々しさを保つ秘訣について聞かれたブリジット氏は、自身の日課についてこう明かした。「毎日３０分運動する。自分だけで、コーチはいない。バランスの取れた食事をし、物を書いたり読んだりして過ごしている」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/04/14-18:18）

French first lady Brigitte Macron turns 70 on Thursday, but don't expect her to talk about it.
Wait for April 13, 2023 when I'm going to be 70, she told women's lifestyle magazine S in January with barely disguised dread about the coming flood of news articles. You're going to hear about it, I'm sure.
I won't read a thing that day.
Brigitte, who has three children from a previous marriage, has spent decades being reminded of the 25-year age gap between her and her husband, whom she met when he was a pupil and she was a teacher at a private school in northeast France.
Their marriage was a sensation when Emmanuel Macron emerged in the public eye -- first as a minister, then as a presidential candidate in 2016 -- with many questioning whether such an unusual couple could be authentic.
Though their affectionate and close relationship has since won over sceptics, public interest in the norm-bending first couple -- and references to Brigitte's age -- never let up.
I've never promoted our couple: it exists but you can't explain it, she continued in her interview with S.
Obviously it's easier to be in the same age range, she added.
- 'Vase of flowers' -
Her office declined to say what she had planned for her landmark birthday when contacted by AFP.
The first lady returned on Wednesday evening from a two-day state visit to the Netherlands with her husband that saw her attend a state banquet hosted by the Dutch king and tour Anne Frank's house with the queen.
She once spoke about the risk of appearing like a decorative vase of flowers during the staged photo ops and ceremonial duties of such occasions.
Always a reluctant political wife, she reportedly discouraged her husband from entering public life in the first place and remained notably lukewarm about his bid for a second term in April last year.
During 2018 anti-Macron demonstrations by so-called Yellow Vest protesters, the literature and theatre lover was personally targeted, and she suffered insulting comments at the hands of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his cabinet.
Did you see my face on re-election night? she told Le Point magazine recently, referring to her stiff performance as her husband celebrated winning another five years in power.
When not representing France abroad, she has thrown herself into charity work at home, backed by a small team operating from their own space in the presidential palace.
Most of her campaign issues are linked to her former career as a teacher -- bullying in schools, childhood autism, mental health and social media -- but they are also classic choices.
In terms of her activities, she is very traditional in her approach, Robert Schneider, the author of a French-language book on presidents' wives, First Ladies, told AFP.
Born into a well-to-do provincial family -- her father ran a chocolate shop in her hometown Amiens -- Brigitte is widely thought to be more conservative than her husband and is on friendly terms with right-wing former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
At the start there were two sides to her: a free woman who had broken social conventions (through her marriage)... and the other that was conventional: a provincial bourgeoise, Catholic, well brought up, smartly dressed, who votes to the right, Schneider added.
Today it's the second side of her that dominates.
- Ageing secrets -
Her influence on policy is a subject of unending speculation in France.
She is widely used to pass messages on to her husband from advisers and allies, and serves as a sounding board for his ideas.
As his former drama teacher, Brigitte also takes a keen interest in Macron's public speeches and addresses, coaching him on enunciation and delivery.
I've never grabbed him to say 'do this or do that', she told Le Monde newspaper in 2021. But he always asks me what I think, as he does with (chief of staff) Alexis Kohler. After, he does what he wants.
Naturally talkative, outgoing and sociable, Brigitte has battled to curb her tendency to be frank and direct in public.
I pay a lot more attention to what I say... because it doesn't just involve me, she told the TF1 channel in January. I'd like to have a lot more freedom to speak.
Asked about her secret for defying the years, Brigitte outlined her daily routine.
I do half an hour of sport a day -- on my own, without a coach -- I eat a balanced diet and I spend time writing and reading, she told S magazine.