Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron Biography For Students

Name: Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron
Birthday: December 21, 1977 (Amiens, France)
Nationality: French
Political Party: La République En Marche (2016 – **)
Spouse: Brigitte Trogneux (M. 2007)
Parents: Jean-Michel Macron (Father); Françoise Macron-Nogues (Mother)

Born as Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron, on December 21, 1977, in the city of Amiens, located in northern France; known as Emmanuel Macron. He is the current president of the French Republic, being the twenty-fifth in the position. Added to this, he is also co-Prince of Andorra and Grand Master of the Legion of Honor.

He is the son of Jean-Michel Macron, a doctor, and professor of Neurology at the CHU of his native Amiens and of Françoise Macron-Noguès, also a doctor and counselor.

Macron did part of his studies at the Jesuit school La Providence, where he stood out for his good grades. There he was a student of the French Literature and drama teacher: Brigitte Trogneux, whom he would fall in love with when he was only 15 years old and she 39 when she was married and had three children. Of course, this relationship was frustrated, although it remained with the promise that someday they would get married. At this time, he also studied six years of piano at the Conservatory of Amiens.

Emmanuel Macron: Childhood & Early Life

  • Emmanuel Macron was born on 21 December 1977, in Amiens, France, to Françoise (Noguès), a physician, and Jean-Michel Macron, professor of neurology at the ‘University of Picardy.’ Even though his parents were not religious, Macron was baptized a Roman Catholic at his own request when he was 12.
  • He was smart and determined from a young age and performed well as a student at the ‘Jésuites de la Providence lycée.’ As a teenager, he became infatuated with one of his teachers at school, and in order to distract him, his parents sent him to the élite high school ‘Lycée Henri-IV’ in Paris for his final year.
  • Following his high school graduation, he studied philosophy at the ‘University of Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense,’ obtaining a DEA degree. He then proceeded to earn his master’s degree in public affairs from the ‘Paris Institute of Political Studies.’
  • Interested in a career in civil service, Macron trained at the ‘École nationale d’administration’ (ENA) and graduated in 2004.

He finished his secondary studies at the Henri IV Liceo in Paris. There he also studied his first three years of college in preparatory classes at the major schools of letters and social sciences. This happened between 1995 and 1998, although he did not finally enter the Normal Superior School.

After this, he entered the University of Paris-Nanterre where he obtained the title of Philosophy, being Hegel the subject treated in his thesis. He then graduated from the Political Studies Institute of Paris in Political Science in 2001, while also becoming a member of the Socialist Party, at the time being 24 years old. But it was not until 2004 that he finished his studies by becoming an inspector of finance at the National School of Administration (ENA), a place where French elites are trained.

At the age of 25, although he was studying philosophy, he had written research on Hegel and Machiavelli, which led him to become an assistant to the renowned French philosopher and anthropologist: Paul Ricoeur.

Already in his professional life, he served in 2007 as a reporter at the Attali Commission, the same year in which he married Brigitte Trogneux, who had been his former teacher of French literature at the Jesuit school. Such was the opposition of Macron’s relatives to their relationship, that this had an influence on his choice to go live in Paris. However, Macron and Brigitte managed to reunite years later. After the divorce with her former husband, the couple celebrated their nuptials in 2006.

In 2008, he became interested in Banca Rothschild. There he stayed for four years and was in charge of a great deal between the Nestlé and Pfizer transnationals, since he had achieved the friendship of such influential people as the great patron of Nestlé: Peter Brabeck, and with the renowned economist Jacques Attali, with whom he wrote, for that same year, a report to determine the economic growth of the country, which had been commissioned by Nicolas Sarkozy.

In 2011, bet on the candidacy for the presidency of Hollande (now his predecessor) and participates in the development of his speeches and program. Thus, after winning the elections, in 2012 he is incorporated into the cabinet and is in charge of both the economic area and the preparations and negotiations in the G-20. In this way, Macron leaves the Bank for the Elysée Palace.

Emmanuel Macron: Career

  • Emmanuel Macron landed a job as an inspector of finances in the ‘French Ministry of Economy’ shortly after completing his studies in 2004. In this position, he served as deputy rapporteur for the Commission to improve French economic growth headed by Jacques Attali in 2007.
  • In 2008, the ambitious young man received an offer to work as an investment banker at ‘Rothschild & Cie Banque.’ Since he had already landed a government job, he had to pay €50,000 to buy himself out of his government contract.
  • Meanwhile, Macron had also ventured into politics as a member of the ‘Socialist Party’ (PS) in 2006. He left the party in 2009 and became an independent politician.
  • In the French political circles, Emmanuel Macron was considered a protégé of the senior Socialist politician François Hollande, who is believed to have played a role in shaping Macron’s career. In 2012, Macron was selected for a senior position in President Hollande’s office—as deputy secretary-general of the Élysée.
  • Macron’s political career continued to flourish and he was appointed as the minister of economy and finance on 26 August 2014, replacing Arnaud Montebourg, under Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
  • As the minister of the economy, Macron played a major role in promoting business-friendly reforms. He was in favor of the free market and strived towards reducing the public-finances deficit. A vocal supporter of the ‘El Khomri’ law, he called for an economic overhaul.
  • In this position, he also supported the ‘Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement’ (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.
  • His stance on foreign policy proved to be a bit controversial. His popularity saw a dip after he described France’s colonization of Algeria as a “crime against humanity.”
  • Emmanuel Macron initially said that France needed a more “balanced” policy toward Syria and that he was willing to consider talks with Bashar Assad. However, following the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun, Macron called for a possible military intervention against Assad’s regime.
  • As far as his views on Israel are concerned, he proposed that Hollande’s policies be continued. He opposed the ‘Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement’ (also known as the BDS Movement) coordinated by the Palestinian ‘BDS National Committee.’
  • His views on immigration differed from those of many other French socialists, including former Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Inspired by Angela Merkel’s open-door policy toward immigrants and refugees, he stated that he was confident that France has the ability to absorb more immigrants. He also promotes tolerance towards people belonging to diverse religions.
  • Emmanuel Macron founded an independent political party called ‘En Marche!’ in Amiens on 6 April 2016. He then resigned from his governmental position and voiced his intention to run for the 2017 French presidential election on November 2016.
  • He promised to “unblock France” in his announcement speech and called for a “democratic revolution.” His bid was supported by many prominent political figures, including François Bayrou, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, François de Rugy, and Richard Ferrand.
  • After qualifying for the runoff after the first round of the election on 23 April 2017, Emmanuel Macron won the second round of the presidential election on 7 May, conveniently beating Marine Le Pen of the National Front.
  • He formally assumed office as the president of France on 14 May 2017.

On May 15, 2012, he was elected as deputy general secretary of the Republic, being criticized by the left wing of the French Socialist Party. However, by then Macron already counted on the friendship of the companies. So, for two years, he kept the president’s relations with the big bosses stable.

This replaces Arnaud Montebourg, in the Ministry of Economy, Productive Recovery and Digital Affairs for the date of August 26, 2014, when Manuel Valls still governed. This event was frowned upon by some socialist parliamentarians, who opposed the reformist measures of Hollande, which in the end had been inspired by Emmanuel Macron himself.

Emmanuel Macron: Major Works

  • After functioning as an independent politician for a few years, Emmanuel Macron launched his own political party ‘En Marche!’ on 6 April 2016. A social-liberal party, ‘En Marche!’ is considered to be a progressive movement, uniting both the left and the right. Academics often compare the party to the Spanish liberal political party ‘Citizens,’ and Macron to its leader, Albert Rivera.
In 2015 he announced that he is no longer a member of the Socialist Party.

Subsequently, in August 2016, he decided to resign as minister to dedicate himself fully to the political movement he had just created, called “En Marche!” Whose initials (E.M.) coincided with those of his name. This had already been presented at a public event in April of the same year in Amiens, his hometown. Then, in November, he launches his candidacy for the presidential elections in France in 2017.

Emmanuel Macron wins the elections on May 7, 2017, in the second round of the presidential election, with a large and strong percentage, 66.1% of valid votes, against 33.9% reached by his rival: Marine Le Pen, who was a candidate for the National Front. By achieving this victory at 39 years old, became the second youngest leader of France, the first was Napoleon, who was crowned emperor at his 35.

Emmanuel Macron: Personal Life & Legacy

  • Emmanuel Macron was just a teenager when he fell in love with his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux, 24 years his senior. Despite their age gap—and the fact that Brigitte was married with three children—the boy pursued her. Disturbed by his attitude towards his teacher, Emmanuel’s parents sent him to another city to complete his high school.
  • Being a determined young man that he was, Emmanuel promised to his teacher that one day he would return and marry her. He kept his promise. After completing his studies, he resumed his relationship with her. Brigitte eventually divorced her first husband and married Macron in 2007.

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