French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out after Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro mocked his wife. Photo / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out after Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro mocked his wife. Photo / AP
The spat between French president Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro just got personal.
The two leaders are currently embroiled in a feud over the fires that are raging through the Amazon rainforest, much of which is situated in Brazil, but their argument took a nasty turn when Bolsonaroendorsed a post on Facebook insulting the French first lady, Brigitte Macron.
At 66, Brigitte is 25 years older than her husband, and the post compares Bolsonaro, 64 and his wife Michelle, 37, with a photo of Mr and Mrs Macron.
A Bolsonaro supporter yesterday posted this meme mocking Brigitte Macron, 66, and comparing her unfavourably with Brazil's first lady 37-year-old Michelle Bolsonaro.
The caption read, "Now you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro?" Bolsonaro responded: "Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha," referring to Macron.
When asked about Bolsonaro's comment at the G7 summit on Monday, Macron condemned it, saying, "He said very disrespectful things about my wife, I have great respect for the Brazilian people and can only hope they soon have a president who is up to the job."
"Brazilian women are probably feeling ashamed of their president," he added.
French first lady Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured during G7 summit in Biarritz yesterday. Photo / AP
This latest row between the French and Brazilian leaders follows heated discussions on social media over Bolsonaro's reaction to the Amazon fires.
Macron shared a photo of the rainforest engulfed in flames last week with the caption, "Our house is burning, literally." and urging a response to the crisis.
Bolsonaro responded, "I regret that President Macron seeks to instrumentalize an internal issue of Brazil and other Amazonian countries for personal political gains.
Jair Bolsonaro has been facing pressing from Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders over the fires ravaging the Amazon. Photo / AP
The sensationalist tone with which he refers to the Amazon (appealing even to fake photos) does nothing to solve the problem."
Macron announced over the weekend that the G7 countries would release €20 million (NZ$35m) to help fight the raging fires in the Amazon.
Bolsonaro, in turn, accused Macron of "unreasonable and unreasonable attacks on the Amazon" and said that Macron disguises his intentions behind the idea of an "alliance" of the countries.
