The Macron 'shove': would a PR pause have been a better response?
When video of Emmanuel Macron being shoved in the face by Brigitte Macron went viral, the French president told reporters he was ‘joking with my wife’. But could the response have been handled better?
Press lines. They are arguably the most important documents in public affairs. Essentially, you brainstorm possible crisis scenarios, then prepare responses you can use to engage the press effectively.
But when we prepare these documents, no one quite imagines a scenario where any leader – much less a sitting president – is smacked by his wife. On camera.
Yet that’s exactly what happened.
Suddenly, President Macron’s trip to Hanoi on a diplomatic mission last month faded into the background. Speculation ran wild. Some wondered if this was a feat of AI wizardry rather than something that had actually occurred.
Macron’s response: a muted bang
That speculation didn’t last. Macron himself promptly got on camera, explaining that this was something he and his wife often did in jest. He seemed visibly irritated as he told the reporter that people needed to calm down and focus on more important matters.
Why can’t you just ignore it?
His communications team – likely under pressure – didn’t help matters. They followed up with a statement that read:
“It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness.”
Rather than dousing the flames, their efforts only fanned them. Public scrutiny intensified, interpretations multiplied (which I won’t go into here), and the original incident took on a life of its own.
A simple 24-hour silence would have done wonders.
The power of the pause: A case study
A few years ago, an organisation I worked with flew some professionals into Nigeria. During their visit, there was an electrical accident which was serious enough to catch the attention of a few British news outlets. In Nigeria, only one local news platform picked it up. Still, the fact remained, it was out there.
The comms team at our London headquarters panicked. They wanted the full toolkit:
- A press release to clarify the story.
- Internal PR (with an HR twist) to pre-empt any future lawsuits.
- A debate between holding a media chat or a full-on press conference.
They reached out to our director in Nigeria, who was in Abuja at the time. I remember him walking up to my desk and asking what I thought, given my local understanding. I told him it was best to ignore it.
These are the reasons why:
- Within a short time, another story would dominate the news cycle.
- Any official response would only amplify an incident that barely made local headlines.
- The group wasn’t well-known in Nigeria. If necessary, any communication should be targeted at the British press – not here.
To my surprise, he called HQ and relayed my recommendation. We stuck with the silence. Uncomfortable at first but then it grew on everyone.
And yes, it blew over and the world moved on.
The dual nature of the PR pause
That incident taught me the value of the PR pause, in two parts:
- First, there is need for an internal pause for conversation among stakeholders to align perspectives and gather context.
- Second, an external pause while deciding whether you should address the public. This allows for a calculated and thoughtful response.
Both are essential. Together, they form a buffer between incident and action—one that allows you to lead with clarity, not panic or fear.
Macron’s missed opportunity
Had Macron embraced this pause, his comms team could have done their job, assessed public sentiment, crafted a calibrated response, and possibly advised against the awkward interview entirely.
Even if he’d been caught off guard, a touch of humour and a light dismissal would likely have deflated the situation.
But that didn’t happen.
The incident served as a stark reminder: in the face of crisis, a deliberate pause – allowing for thorough internal assessment and a carefully considered external strategy – is not just advisable, it's essential for any leader navigating the relentless glare of public scrutiny.
Amina Maikori is a journalist and international PR/communications specialist based in Abuja, Nigeria. With years of experience navigating both the boardroom and the press room, she believes the best crisis strategy sometimes involves saying less not more. Amina is also a mental health advocate and the author of The Demystification of Stephen, a collection of short stories and Gyuro's Dream, a children's book.
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