French President Emmanuel Macron greets visitors in the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Sunday. Photo / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron greets visitors in the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Sunday. Photo / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron was bombarded with often abusive text messages and late night calls after one of his mobile phone numbers was published online, the French president's aides said on Monday.
It was made public "about 12 days ago" following the theft of a reporter's phone containing one ofMacron's numbers from when the president served as economy minister in François Hollande's government.
Macron, whose popularity has plunged over the past three months, has three mobile phones, two of which were shown in his official portrait.
He hardly used the number that was given out online, an aide said. It was quickly disconnected and he now has a new number.
Macron, right, poses for a selfie with a visitor in the Elysee presidential palace in Paris. Photo / AP
"The number that was leaked was one of Emmanuel Macron's two personal mobiles, not the one he uses for presidential business," the aide said. "He only used it for personal calls not considered sensitive."
The third Elysée phone, which is encrypted and secure, was given to him when he took office in May.
Elysée Palace sources told Challenges magazine that few staffers use encrypted lines, preferring to use their own mobiles, without making the subjects of their conversations explicit in case they are bugged.
Challenges, which revealed the leak, quoted a senior government minister as joking that ministers might be able to get more sleep if Macron could no longer use his phone.
He is known for making calls and sending messages late at night and early in the morning.
The minister said it was difficult not to respond to the head of state when he had a question - and you always had to be lucid and well-briefed.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "I make my battle plans from the spirit of my sleeping soldiers."
Challenges pointed out that Napoleon understood the need to allow his generals enough sleep, hinting that Macron might be well advised to do the same.
