Love knows no numbers in France.
During the French presidential elections, the whole world seemed to focus on the age difference—24 years—between Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron. The gap skews the opposite way of what you might think with the president at 39, France’s youngest yet, and his first wife at 64.
Brigitte, nicknamed “Bibi”, was once Macron’s high school drama teacher, an already charming start to this fairytale romance. Ever since Macron’s time as Economy Minister, she has reread all his speeches, commented on his delivery, and has attended all his staff meetings.
This phenomenon is not one that is frowned upon in France; it even holds historical precedent. Napoleon’s wife, Josephine, was seven years his senior. Louis XIV’s last wife, Françoise de Maintenon, five years.
So why is cougar culture so readily accepted amongst the French? French people seek out women with wit, charm, and chicness, all traits borne from experience in life.
There’s also an old farmer’s saying: “c’est dans les vieux pots qu’on fair les meilleures soupes”. Literally meaning “it’s in old pots which we make the best soup”, it imparts hope for women at any age and presents an enticing prospect for younger men, too.
