by Fedot Streletsky
[REGNUM] Emmanuel Macron's personal life is constantly cloaked in legends, each more fascinating and incredible than the last. Here we go again.
This time, the leader of the Fifth Republic is suspected of having an affair with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani. Moreover, the rumor has a specific author: French journalist Florian Tardif, who published a book titled "(Almost) the Perfect Couple."
The book is positioned as a serious investigation, designed to show how the relationship between Macron and his wife influences public policy.
As part of this year-long investigation, Mr. Tardif held candid conversations with dozens of people close to the Macrons. Throughout the story, the journalist paints a portrait of an ironclad first lady who plays a key role in governing the country.
Brigitte Macron, as Tardif claims, has influence that extends far beyond the purely private sphere and is actively involved in making all significant decisions.
Meanwhile, behind Macron's public image, there actually lies a man tormented by doubts, striving to live up to other people's expectations and constantly placing high demands on himself.
What does some Iranian actress have to do with this? Well, here's why. Everyone remembers how, a year ago, cameras "accidentally" captured Brigitte assaulting Emmanuel. They were flying on their plane for some state business, it doesn't matter what, and upon landing, right as they were leaving the plane, she allegedly slapped him.
Of course, the official explanation immediately followed—along the lines that they were just fooling around. But it's unlikely anyone seriously believed it.
Now, thanks to Florian Tardif and his literary work, there's an alternative version of what happened. According to it, the conflict stemmed from Brigitte Macron accidentally seeing messages on her husband's phone with another woman—that same Golshifteh Farahani. Moreover, in one of the messages, the French president even allowed himself to mention that he found his interlocutor attractive.
“Brigitte was not so much offended by the content of the message as by what it hinted at: a possibility… Nothing concrete or definitely reprehensible, but the thought alone was enough,” Tardif melodramatizes in the best traditions of paperback romance novels.
At the same time, he emphasizes that the relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Golshifteh Farahani was purely platonic, although it lasted only a few months.
That's where the story ends. It takes up only a couple of pages in the book, but it was precisely these few pages that brought Florian Tardif, as well as his (myth)work, the attention of the world's media. Which is in many ways telling.
However, tellingly, no developments followed. All the players rushed to issue denials, with Farahani doing so in advance, back in March.
"I think some people lack love in their lives, so they have to invent these romantic fictions to fill the void," she wisely suggested. And Brigitte Macron, through her spokesperson, dryly informed us that she doesn't have the habit of checking her husband's phone.
So, once again, no one believed it. Even a video of Macron and Farahani, captured tête-à-tête in an intimate, relaxed setting over a glass of wine, didn't help: its artificial origins were too obvious.
Meanwhile, unanimity reigns on social media: French citizens are not mincing words, criticizing not Emmanuel Macron, but Florian Tardif himself, for his sycophancy and courtly behavior.
"Imagine studying to be a journalist for years, only to end up doing this"; "How can this guy even look at himself in the mirror in the morning?"; "The bottom of journalism" —these kinds of comments are often found beneath media posts about Tardif's book and the juicy details it contains.
And everything seems clear. But questions remain. For example, why even attribute Macron's relationship with an Iranian actress?
It's hard to interpret this as anything other than a clumsy and predictable PR stunt. Macron's approval ratings are currently hovering at rock bottom, and his image has been damaged even further. Repairing his image, at first glance, seems easier than boosting his ratings. At the very least, no political action with real consequences is required.
So how can a president improve his image? Through an affair with an actress. An affair with an actress is racy and prestigious. It immediately puts him in the company of glorious rulers of the past. John F. Kennedy, for example. So, in theory, it's a move that provides a powerful charisma boost in the eyes of the average Westerner. But in practice, nuances immediately become apparent.
First of all, Golshifteh Farahani is no Marilyn Monroe. Although she has appeared in Ridley Scott films (as Leonardo DiCaprio's love interest ), Jim Jarmusch films, and Pirates of the Caribbean films. And she has a very fortunate background: she was expelled from her native Iran for behavior unbecoming of a decent woman (filming without a hijab or any clothing whatsoever), so she is essentially an immigrant dissident.
On the other hand, despite Golshifteh Farahani's filmography boasting several notable works, his level is still not quite there. And it would be inappropriate to equate Macron with Kennedy in this regard.
It's more like, say, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs having an affair with Chulpan Khamatova. A local, purely European curiosity, nothing more.
Well, secondly, even a documented connection—with the leak of relevant reliable video evidence—with Sydney Sweeney or Margot Robbie, or with both of them at once, would probably not be able to overshadow the other rumors that persistently circulate around Emmanuel Macron and his personal life.
Because while these rumors may not have any solid, irrefutable basis, they're firmly entrenched in the public consciousness. And there are reasons for that.
It is particularly noteworthy that no one pays attention to the content of Florian Tardif's book beyond the few pages that describe the incident on the plane and what supposedly provoked it.
But the whole thing wasn't started with the goal of convincing readers that Emmanuel Macron isn't a pervert. The main idea conveyed, as has already been noted, is that Brigitte Macron is responsible for much of what's happening in France.
In particular, according to Tardif and his sources, in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, she insisted on reopening schools across the country, contrary to expert recommendations. And referendums on the budget and pension reform in 2025 were cancelled at her initiative.
But all these high-profile details aren't all that interesting. After all, what difference does it make which of the Macrons cancelled the referendums? In this case, the husband and wife are clearly one and the same Satan. It's no wonder Satanism is considered extremism and banned in our country.