People
Twelve figures who shaped — or were shaped by — Macron's career.
Brigitte Macron
Macron’s wife, a former literature teacher from Amiens, married to him since 2007. She plays a visible public role alongside the presidency.
François Hollande
Socialist president (2012–2017) who brought Macron into the Élysée as deputy secretary-general and later made him economy minister. Macron’s 2017 run broke with Hollande’s party.
Édouard Philippe
Macron’s first prime minister (2017–2020), a center-right figure from Le Havre who steered the early labor and tax reforms before being replaced in July 2020.
Jean Castex
Prime minister (2020–2022) who led the government through the COVID-19 pandemic’s later phase and the end of the first term.
Élisabeth Borne
Prime minister (2022–2024) who carried the contested 2023 pension reform, using Article 49.3 to pass it without a vote.
Gabriel Attal
The youngest prime minister in French history when appointed in January 2024 at 34; led the government into the 2024 snap elections.
Michel Barnier
Veteran center-right politician and former EU Brexit negotiator, prime minister from September to December 2024.
François Bayrou
Centrist ally since 2017 and founder of MoDem; named prime minister in December 2024.
Sébastien Lecornu
Prime minister as of September 2026, leading a minority government without an absolute National Assembly majority (Reuters, 16 September 2026).
Angela Merkel
German chancellor (2005–2021) and Macron’s principal European partner, co-architect with him of the EU’s 2020 pandemic recovery fund.
Marine Le Pen
Leader of the far-right National Rally; Macron defeated her in the presidential runoffs of both 2017 (66.10%) and 2022 (58.54%).
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Leader of the radical-left La France insoumise and a fixture of opposition to Macron from the left across both terms.
Source notes
Prime-ministerial sequences follow standard references; the current officeholder (Lecornu) is per Reuters, 16 September 2026. The 2022 result is from the UK House of Commons Library briefing CBP-9522. Portraits are credited in their captions.