Brigitte Macron and her Elysee Palace entourage are becoming increasingly influential and turning her husband Emmanuel into an alpha male strongman with boxing workout photoshoots, insiders claim

Ever since he managed to secure a second term in Paris' Elysée Palace two years ago, Emmanuel Macron's presidency has been anything but plain sailing. 

April 2022 elections saw Macron defeat far-right Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote, but he was heavily criticised after his opponent received more votes than any hard-right candidate in France's history and solidified her National Rally (RN) party as a major player in the French political sphere.

Macron's second term has subsequently been mired in controversy and public discontent amid widespread strikes while the RN, now led by Le Pen's handsome young protégé Jordan Bardella, continues to poll well ahead of the President's Renaissance party ahead of European elections in June.

And so, it appears a decision has been made in the depths of the Elysée Palace that Macron is due a bit of an image makeover. 

His personal photographer Soazing de la Moissonnière caused quite a stir in France last week when she released two images depicting the French President pounding a punchbag, his face a picture of steely resolve as chiselled biceps rippled from beneath his shirt.

The black-and-white shots, hailed as a display of 'ultimate virility' according to one French newspaper, were the latest in a slew of perfectly curated images constituting part of a campaign to do away with Macron's reputation as a know-it-all blabbermouth, recasting him as a renaissance action man. 

And it is France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, who is said to be the catalyst behind her husband's transformative PR offensive.

President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron wait to welcome Lithuania's President and his wife at the Elysee Presidential Palace prior to their meeting in Paris on March 12, 2024

Macron's personal photographer Soazing de la Moissonnière caused quite a stir in France last week week when she released images depicting the French President pounding a punchbag

Macron's pugilistic photo-op is just the latest in a campaign of staged shoots said to be designed to portray the Elysee Palace chief as a dashing, capable and admirable representative of France

Images of Macron published by his personal lenswoman have captured the French leader's looks, confidence and charm as much as his masculinity and physical capabilities 

Macron is seen holding his blue jacket over his shoulder as he checks his phone

Brigitte understands the importance of optics all too well. 

A whopping twenty-four years older than her husband (the pair began an affair when Macron was just a schoolboy and she was his teacher), Mrs Macron has spent the length of Emmanuel's political career deflecting criticism.

Brigitte has also been the subject of a vicious conspiracy theory suggesting she is transgender that has been perpetuated by influential American commentator Candace Owens, among others.

Now she is said to be masterminding her husband's political revival, working with a cluster of trusted advisers - including long-time media commentator and Macron's unofficial right-hand man Bruno Roger-Petit - to give the President an image refresh, according to an exposé by French newspaper Le Monde. 

Brigitte is also understood to be very close with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a good-looking 35-year-old who has been described as Macron's 'mini-me' and could challenge the youthful Bardella in a 2027 presidential shootout when his mentor's time in office comes to an end. 

Recognising the appeal of new age politicians like Attal and Bardella, the Palace is going to great lengths to dispel Macron's reputation as a stuffy and sensible 'mansplainer' that has driven unprecedented numbers of conservative French voters towards the RN. 

Images of Macron published by his personal lenswoman have captured the French leader's looks, confidence and charm as much as his masculinity and physical capabilities. 

From pictures of the President flashing a winning smile as he lounged on a mustard colour sofa with an unbuttoned shirt revealing his hairy chest, to the already notorious snaps of his boxing workout - each photograph serves to encapsulate Macron as a man of equal parts style and substance. 

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte Macron walk as they attend a "national tribute" ceremony to late French politician and admiral, Philippe de Gaulle, the son of Charles de Gaulle, at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris on March 20, 2024

Macron and his wife are seen alongside Elton John and David Furnish

Emmanuel Macron appears deep in thought in another arty black and white shot

It is said that Macron's PR drive seeks to portray him as the complete package, equal parts style and substance

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) poses with members of the public for a selfie after a ceremony to seal the right to abortion in the French constitution, on International Women's Day, at the Place Vendome, in Paris, on March 8, 2024

Just two weeks ago the French President reversed years of attempts to maintain good relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when he declared the prospect of sending Western ground troops into Ukraine should not be 'ruled out'.

He also chastised Putin for threatening the use of nuclear devices and reminded him France also has an advanced weapons programme in shockingly brash interviews with French media. 

That retort came days after Macron returned from a presidential visit to Marseilles where he personally announced the launch of a monumental police operation to crack down on the drugs trade. 

Of course, it remains to be seen whether French troops ever actually set foot in Ukraine, or if police make any headway against the deeply entrenched narcotics gangs that command much of Marseille's suburbs.

The chances of either prospect becoming reality are slim. But Macron's very public efforts to publicise both endeavours will likely help to bolster his standing in the eyes of the French electorate. 

French journalist Gael Tchakaloff, whose biography entitled 'As Long as We're Together' delved deep into the Macron marriage, said his sources claimed Brigitte is 'devoted to her husband's success' and is inextricably involved in the President's daily schedule.

From the 'Madame Wing' of the Elysée Palace, she is in constant communication with her husband, who is said to call her every 90 minutes to discuss ideas and check in. 

With such a close relationship to her husband and sway with key figures in the Palace, Mrs Macron can certainly take plenty of credit if Emmanuel and his Renaissance party fall back into favour with the French public.