be officially sworn in as the country’s 25th president. It is no longer
news that Macron is 39 years old neither and that his wife, Brigitte
Trogneux Macron 65, is older than him with 26 years. What is however a
phenomenon in Macron meteoric rise is no doubt his unprecedented
political cum marital life.
suffusing the youthfulness, vigour and zeal of Macron to becoming France
number one citizen as well as his marriage to 65 years old grandma,
Brigitte has continued to be debated across board which is the main
factor that has made the French president-elect one of the world’s most
current popular figure.
Trust Nigerians for who we are,
particularly, the younger generation who have been at the forefront of
having leaders with young bloods instead of the old brigades, the social
media as usual became the village square of rational and irrational
analyzes on ways of replicating Macron’s feat in Nigeria.
One
then begins to wonder in a sober and reflective mood the enormous damage
the present crop of recycled leaders have done to the psyche and IQs of
youths of my generation who just wake to the victory of Macron one
morning and by afternoon wants to be Nigeria’s Macron forgetting that
Macron’s political thrive and as a public servant was not conceptualized
with a mere tap of fingers or wave of magic wand.
For the
benefit of all, briefly, the man Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric according
to Wikipedia is a French politician, a former civil servant and
investment banker, he studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University,
completed a Master’s of Public Affairs at Sciences Po, and graduated
from the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 2004. He worked as an
Inspector of Finances in the Inspectorate General of Finances (IGF) and
then became an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque.
A member of the Socialist Party from 2006 to 2009, Macron was appointed
as Deputy Secretary-General under François Hollande’s first government
in 2012. He was appointed Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital
Affairs in 2014 under the Second Valls Government, where he pushed
through business-friendly reforms.
He resigned in August 2016 to
launch a bid in the 2017 presidential election. In November 2016, Macron
declared that he would run in the election under the banner of En
Marche!, a centrist political movement he founded in April 2016.
Ideologically, he has been characterised as a centrist and a liberal.
Back to the discourse, in the normal Nigerian parlance this is what is
referred to as an intimidating CV by a young chap who has adequately
prepared himself for the big job ahead. Also, I believe his
determination to contest for his country’s number one sit and the
support he got to have won the keenly contested election is not only due
to his CV but surely his outstanding performance while he held sway in
the various offices he had occupied.
To my Nigerian brothers and
sisters, while canvassing youthful leadership in the nation’s affairs,
it should be noted that Macron never cruised to victory based on
sympathy votes or support just because he his young as his people
clearly saw in him a young man with valour based on antecedents.
On his marital life regarding the 26 years age difference between him
and his wife, Brigitte, the next first lady of France who he fell in
love with as a student when she was his drama teacher, its interesting
everyone is now an ‘Apostle of Love knows no barrier’…Love doesn’t
know age concept … Once two hearts melt together, let them be
regardless of the wide age difference bla bla bla… with some saying
the country’s ethnic groups stance on cultural beliefs has been the bane
of our development and growth.
And I laughed when the same set
of the people want African norm to be jettisoned just because Macron is
now a world figure forgetting that he his a Frenchman. With tweets on
someone’s timeline such as “who culture epp” “if u love her, guy man up
4get age… “
As Nigerians, as in the real Naija people, how
many times have we not criticized and chastised young men dating,
courting, cohabiting and marrying ladies or women old enough to be their
mother with the narratives going thus for the guy; if he is no a pimp,
he must be a gigolo or a gold digger and on the side of the older woman,
she is certainly a ritualist tapping young men “glories” or definitely a
sugar mummy that needs regular servicing from young bloods.
Brigitte moved from being his teacher to lover and now France first lady.
One thing is certain here, Macron and Brigitte Trogneux Macron are French while France is not Nigeria.
Au revoir.
Momoh is a Journalist, Writer and Blogger. Contact via adewalemomoh@gmail.com
Study @ Achievers University
