France’s President Emmanuel Macron ,39 has run up a make-up bill of
$30,000 (€26,000) in his first 100 days in office, offering fresh
ammunition to his critics.
The bill, revealed by Le Point magazine and confirmed by the presidency
to AFP on Friday, was paid to a freelance make-up artist for work since
the centrist took power in mid-May.
It recalled an embarrassing revelation about the balding former
president Francois Hollande who was forced to admit to employing a
private hairdresser on a pre-tax monthly salary of nearly €10,000
($11,800).
Opponents seized on the total of the make-up bills — one for €10,000s
and another for €16,000 — with most of the French media publishing
stories about the issue.
“While France is slaving away, Macron is spreading (the equivalent of)
23 times the minimum wage on his face,” wrote far-right strategist
Florian Philippot on Twitter.
A source in the presidency told BFM television that future costs would
be “significantly reduced,” while claiming that both Hollande and former
right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy spent more on make-up.
A beauty writer in Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper offered some tips
for some cheaper male cosmetics in an article entitled “How President
Macron could save himself £8,000 on make-up a month.”
Many male politicians in the West wear foundation while making media
appearances to counter the bleaching effect of studio lights or flash
photography, as well as concealer to cover up signs of under-eye
fatigue.
The leak to Le Point comes at a bad time for France’s youngest-ever
president whose approval ratings have fallen sharply since his victory
in May standing in his first ever election.
A recent poll showed that only 37 percent of French people were happy
with his performance so far and he faces a tricky battle to ram through
promised labour market reforms next month.
Earlier this month, Macron’s wife Brigitte, his former school teacher
who is 25 years older than him, joked about the difficulties of living
with her youthful husband during an interview with Elle magazine.
“The 20 years of age difference… it’s really nothing,” she said. “Of
course, when we’re having breakfast, there’s me with my wrinkles and him
looking fresh, but it’s like that
