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Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron - June 2025 (3x4 cropped).jpg
Macron in 2025
President of France
Assumed office
14 May 2017
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe
Jean Castex
Élisabeth Borne
Gabriel Attal
Michel Barnier
François Bayrou
Preceded by François Hollande
Minister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairs
In office
26 August 2014 – 30 August 2016
Prime Minister Manuel Valls
Preceded by Arnaud Montebourg
Succeeded by Michel Sapin
Deputy Secretary-General to the President
In office
15 May 2012 – 15 July 2014
President François Hollande
Preceded by Jean Castex
Succeeded by Laurence Boone
Personal details
Born
Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron

(1977-12-21) 21 December 1977 (age 47)
Amiens, Somme, France
Political party Renaissance
(2016–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
(m. 2007)
Parent
  • Jean-Michel Macron (father)
Relatives Laurence Auzière-Jourdan (stepdaughter)
Residence Élysée Palace
Alma mater
Signature
Co-Prince of Andorra
Reign 14 May 2017 – present
Predecessor François Hollande
Co-Prince Joan Enric Vives i Sicília (until 2025)
Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat (since 2025)

Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (born 21 December 1977) is a French politician. He has been the President of France since 2017. Because he is president, he also serves as one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra.

Before becoming president, Macron worked as a senior government official and an investment banker. He was the Minister of the Economy, Industry, and Digital Affairs from 2014 to 2016 under President François Hollande. In 2016, he started his own political party called En Marche! (which means "On the Move!").

Macron won the presidential election in 2017. At 39 years old, he became the youngest president in French history. He defeated Marine Le Pen to win. He won against her again in the 2022 election to earn a second term. This made him the first French president to be re-elected since 2002.

As president, Macron has made changes to France's laws about work, taxes, and pensions. He is a strong supporter of the European Union. He has also led France's response to major events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Early life and education

Emmanuel Macron was born on 21 December 1977 in Amiens, a city in northern France. His mother, Françoise, was a doctor, and his father, Jean-Michel, was a professor of medicine. He has a younger brother and sister.

Macron was a very good student. He attended a private school in Amiens. He loved literature and was a talented piano player. For his last year of high school, his parents sent him to a top school in Paris, the Lycée Henri-IV.

It was in Amiens that he met his future wife, Brigitte Trogneux. She was his drama teacher. They later married in 2007.

After high school, Macron studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University. He then went to two of France's most famous schools for government and public service, Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration (ENA).

Career before politics

After graduating in 2004, Macron began working for the French government as a finance inspector. This is a high-level job checking how the government spends money.

In 2008, he left his government job to become an investment banker at Rothschild & Co. His work involved helping large companies buy and sell other companies. He was very successful and became a partner at the bank. This experience gave him a deep understanding of business and finance.

Early political career

Macron was interested in politics from a young age. He was a member of the Socialist Party for a few years. His big break in politics came in 2012. The newly elected president, François Hollande, asked Macron to be one of his top advisors at the Élysée Palace, the president's official home.

As Deputy Secretary-General, Macron helped shape the president's economic policies. He worked in this important role for two years.

Minister of Economics

Emmanuel Macron (27 août 2014)
Macron as the French Minister of Economics and Industry in 2014

In August 2014, President Hollande appointed Macron as the Minister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairs. He was one of the youngest ministers in the government.

His main goal was to improve France's economy. He introduced a set of reforms known as the "Macron Law." This law aimed to make it easier for businesses to operate and create jobs. For example, it allowed more shops to open on Sundays.

2017 presidential campaign

In April 2016, while still a minister, Macron started his own political movement called En Marche!. He described it as a "centrist" movement, meaning it was not on the far left or far right of politics.

In August 2016, he resigned from the government to focus on his new movement. A few months later, in November, he officially announced he was running for president. He promised to "unblock France" and bring new ideas to the government.

French Election- Celebrations at The Louvre, Paris (33707026433)
Macron's supporters celebrating his victory at the Louvre on 7 May 2017

His campaign gained a lot of support. Many people were tired of the traditional political parties. Macron seemed fresh and different. He got endorsements from politicians from both the left and the right.

In the first round of the election in April 2017, Macron came in first place. He then faced Marine Le Pen in the second round. On 7 May 2017, Macron won the election with over 66% of the vote.

Presidency (2017–present)

Macron officially became president on 14 May 2017. At 39, he was the youngest president in the history of France.

First term (2017–2022)

Changes in France

Soon after taking office, Macron's party won a majority in the parliamentary elections. This made it easier for him to pass new laws. He started with reforms to France's labor laws, making it more flexible for companies to hire and fire workers. He also made changes to the tax system.

Some of his reforms were unpopular. In late 2018, large protests known as the yellow vests protests began across France. People were angry about the rising cost of living and felt that Macron's policies favored the rich. These protests continued for many months.

Working with other countries

President Trump's Trip to the G7 Summit (28816433758)
Macron with other world leaders at the G7 summit in Canada in 2018

Macron believes in a strong European Union (EU). He has worked closely with other European leaders, especially the Chancellor of Germany, to strengthen the EU. He has also played an important role in world events.

He has had many meetings with world leaders like U.S. Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has been involved in discussions about international security, trade, and climate change.

Second term (2022–present)

In April 2022, Macron ran for re-election. He once again faced Marine Le Pen in the final round and won with over 58% of the vote.

A new government

Soon after his second term began, France held legislative elections. This time, Macron's party did not win an overall majority of seats in the National Assembly. This created a hung parliament, which means it became much harder for him to pass laws without the support of other parties.

In 2023, his government passed a pension reform. The new law raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. This led to massive strikes and protests across the country.

Recent events

In June 2024, after his party performed poorly in the European Parliament elections, Macron made a surprise decision. He dissolved the National Assembly and called for a new snap legislative election.

The election resulted in another hung parliament, with no single group winning a clear majority. This led to a period of political uncertainty in France.

Foreign policy

Зустріч Президента України з президентами Франції та Румунії, а також головами урядів Німеччини та Італії 69
Macron with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) in Kyiv in 2022

Macron has been a leading voice in Europe's response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He has strongly condemned the invasion and has provided Ukraine with military and financial support. He has visited Kyiv to show his support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He also continues to work on global issues. He has hosted summits on climate change and has worked to strengthen France's relationships with countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Co-Prince of Andorra

As the President of France, Macron holds a special title. He is one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra, a small country located in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. The other Co-Prince is the Bishop of Urgell from Spain. This tradition has existed for centuries.

Personal life

Emmanuel et Brigitte Macron (cropped)
Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in 2017

Macron is married to Brigitte Macron. She has three children and several grandchildren from her previous marriage. Macron is a stepfather and step-grandfather.

He is known for his love of culture. He enjoys reading and plays the piano, which he studied for ten years. He also likes sports, including tennis, boxing, and skiing. He is a big fan of the Olympique de Marseille football club.

In 2017, the couple adopted a black dog named Nemo, who lives with them at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

2018 World Cup Final (2018-07-15) 02
Macron celebrating France's victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow, Russia

Interesting Facts About Emmanuel Macron

2018 World Cup Final (2018-07-15) 02
Macron celebrating France's victory over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow, Russia
  • Macron is the youngest president in French history.
  • He is also the first French president to win re-election since Jacques Chirac.
  • As President of France, Macron is also one of the two co-princes of Andorra.
  • Macron is a big fan of football. He supports the team Olympique de Marseille.
  • He and his wife Brigitte have a dog named Nemo. Nemo is a black Labrador Retriever-Griffon mix and lives with them at the Élysée Palace.
  • Macron plays the piano. He studied piano for ten years when he was younger. He especially likes music by Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt.
  • He also enjoys skiing, playing tennis, and boxing.
  • Besides French, Macron speaks fluent English.

Images for kids

See also

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