France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, is facing a significant legal challenge after being filmed using a derogatory term to describe feminist protesters. More than 300 women have filed a formal complaint against her for public insult, plunging the Élysée Palace into a fresh controversy.
The Incident and the Immediate Fallout
The controversy stems from a video filmed backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris last week. Macron, 72, was attending a show by comedian Ary Abittan with her daughter and friends. In a conversation with Abittan, who was previously accused of rape, she asked how he was feeling. When he expressed feeling scared, Macron referred to feminist campaigners who had disrupted his show the previous night as "sales connes" – a phrase translating to "stupid bitches". She added that if they reappeared, "we'll toss them out".
The protest targeted Abittan due to what the feminist group Nous Toutes described as "the culture of impunity" around sexual violence in France. It is important to note that magistrates terminated the investigation into the 2021 rape allegation against Abittan in 2024 due to insufficient evidence, a decision upheld on appeal in January this year.
A Symbolic Legal Complaint and Public Apology
This week, a coalition of women's rights groups, including Les Tricoteuses Hystériques, filed a legal complaint. The number of complainants is 343, a figure deeply symbolic in French feminism, referencing a famous 1971 petition where 343 women admitted to having illegal abortions.
Juliette Chapelle, a lawyer for the groups, stated on France Inter radio: "She's France's first lady, her words matter." Chapelle argued the incident revealed a disconnect between Macron's public advocacy for women and her private sentiments.
Facing mounting pressure, Brigitte Macron issued an apology via the media outlet Brut. "I am sorry if I hurt women victims," she said, while characterising the captured remarks as "private" comments. However, she stopped short of full regret, stating: "I can't regret them. True, I am the wife of the president of the republic, but I am above all myself. And so when I am in private, I can let myself go in a way that is not totally proper."
Cultural Reclamation and Broader Implications
The incident has sparked a wave of solidarity, with several French celebrities reclaiming the insult. Actor and director Judith Godrèche, a leading #MeToo voice, posted on social media: "Me too – I'm also a salle conne and I support all the others." The hashtag #salesconnes has been adopted by supporters online.
This lawsuit places Brigitte Macron in an unprecedented position, testing the boundaries between a public figure's private speech and their official role. The case underscores ongoing tensions in France regarding gender equality, freedom of speech, and accountability at the highest levels of society.
