Has Macrono been attacked by his wife? Does the president say they were just joking?

BarcelonaFrance and Vietnam signed several defense and rail transport agreements this Monday as part of Emmanuel Macron's visit to the Asian country, but media attention shifted to an unexpected image: upon landing in Vietnam, Brigitte Macron appears to have hit her husband's face, as Emmanuel Macron himself demonstrates.

In the images, Brigitte's hand can be seen hitting the French president's face, who steps back, surprised by the open door. He then smiles and waves to the crowd, before re-entering the plane and hiding. After a while, they both exit. The scene continues with Macron offering his arm to his wife to go down the stairs, but she rejects him.

The images quickly went viral on social media and became the talk show of this morning's television talk shows. "Are there problems within the presidential couple?", "What influence does the first lady have on the president?", and "How serious is the crisis at the Élysée Palace?" are just some of the questions being circulated on social media and television programs, both in France and abroad.

From Hanoi, Macron used an interview to justify the images and try to put an end to the controversy. Macron, visibly annoyed by the media uproar, asserted that "it was simply a moment of joking with his wife, as happens quite often." The French leader denied "any scene of aggression" between him and his wife. He added: "All this is, really, nonsense. A lot of nonsense is said based on a video."

Previously, and in an unusual gesture, the Élysée Palace and some people close to the Macrons confirmed the authenticity of the images, but explained that they show a moment of complicity and affection, not discomfort. "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing for the last time before starting the trip, joking with each other. It was a moment of complicity," an Élysée Palace advisor told the private French channel BFM-TV.

A significant trip to Vietnam

The uproar has overshadowed the French head of state's official visit to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, which was intended to strengthen France's influence in its former colony. This is an important visit, as it is the first formal visit by a French president to Vietnam in almost a decade, and a meeting through which France seeks to position itself as a major player against the United States, which has imposed 46% tariffs on the country.

So far, the two countries have signed 14 agreements, valued at more than $10 billion, ranging from the purchase of aircraft to cooperation in nuclear energy, defense, and rail and maritime transport. In this context, France's support for freedom of navigation, a key issue for Vietnam, is particularly relevant.

This stop in Vietnam is the first on the French president's tour of Southeast Asia. He will then fly to Indonesia and end in Singapore.