Adieu, Élysée: the Macrons reflect on life after politics

One year before the next French presidential battle, the Macrons are already beginning to sound like a couple taking stock of life after power.

In unusually personal remarks over the past week, both President Emmanuel Macron (48 years old) and first lady Brigitte Macron (73) have reflected publicly on the toll of their time at the Élysée Palace, mixing political messaging with more personal reflections on what a decade at the helm of the French state has cost them.

Under the French constitution, Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term and is due to leave office in 2027. With Marine Le Pen’s camp regrouping, the centre searching for a new leader, and rivals already manoeuvring to dismantle his legacy, the succession fight is beginning before the incumbent has left the stage.

After years that were also marked by protests and geopolitical crises, they now appear to be preparing themselves for the end of an era whose legacy remains unsettled.

Darkness, stupidity and cruelty

Brigitte Macron, who has tightly controlled her media appearances since her husband entered national politics, said in an interview during the weekend that life at the palace had brought moments of profound sadness, which were recorded in a secret journal.

She told La Tribune Dimanche that the period had exposed her to “the darkness of the world, stupidity, cruelty,” adding: “I am sometimes sad in a way I had never been before.”

Her comments follow years of conspiracy theories and harassment, including false claims about her gender and criticism over the couple’s age gap. In January, several people accused of spreading insults and rumours about her were convicted in France, receiving sentences of up to six months in prison, though most were suspended with appeals pending. A separate legal case involving US influencer Candace Owens is still ongoing.

Although Brigitte Macron has said she wanted to stay out of politics, she has regularly spoken out against online abuse. Drawing on her former career as a teacher, she has also focused much of her public work on education and youth issues.

Quitting politics

The president, meanwhile, struck a similarly reflective tone during a visit to Cyprus last week, where he told French students in Nicosia that he would not return to politics after leaving office.

“I didn’t do politics before, and I won’t do politics after,” Macron said after mentioning his past as a political advisor.

The French leader, who came to power in 2017 promising to upend the old party system, acknowledged the difficulty of defending his record while trying to correct mistakes made during nearly a decade in office.

“The hardest thing after nine years is keeping what you did well and going further, while sometimes having to redo things you did badly,” he said.

Although Macron still enjoys a strong international profile, particularly among EU supporters who credit him with reviving debates on European sovereignty and strategic autonomy, he faces a far more mixed assessment at home, where outgoing presidents are traditionally judged severely.

His presidency has been shaped by domestic crises, most notably the Yellow Jackets protest movement, which posed one of the gravest challenges of his tenure. Macron, who promised deep economic reform, is also leaving office with public debt at elevated levels.

The snap parliamentary elections he unexpectedly called have further complicated the final chapter of his presidency, ushering in political deadlock over budget policy and exposing tensions within the institutions of the Fifth Republic.

Macron said he entered politics to turn ideas into action and to push France and Europe forward “faster and stronger” — an ambition he suggested still endures, even if what comes for him after the Élysée remains unclear.

(bw, ow)