A sinister air surrounds French President Emmanuel Macron, as a new book reveals his unsettling and obsessive relationship with luxury cologne. In The Tragedy of the Elysee: Inside the Hell of Macron’s Five-Year Terms, journalist Olivier Beaumont uncovers the dark truth behind Macron’s daily ritual—spraying himself with “industrial amounts” of Dior Eau Sauvage. The scent isn’t just a fragrance; it’s a signature of power, a reminder that the president is near, and no one can ignore it.
According to Beaumont, Macron is never far from a bottle of his beloved Dior, often tucked away in one of his desk drawers, always within arm’s reach. But it’s not just for his own indulgence. The perfume, with its intense floral and musky notes, pervades the air, an overwhelming presence that can be felt the moment he enters a room. One whiff, and it’s clear—Macron has arrived.
The book paints a chilling picture, likening Macron’s use of perfume to the calculated displays of Louis XIV, whose fragrance became an unmistakable symbol of royal authority as he strutted through the opulent halls of Versailles. But for Macron, this isn’t just about vanity—it’s a tool of control. The scent is an invisible force field, a marker of territory. Those around him cannot escape it, and they are left with no choice but to recognize his dominance.
One former aide paints a disturbing image of this perfumed power play. “When Emmanuel Macron enters the room, you can feel it,” they said. The aide described the president’s scent as a declaration—“It’s not subtle, but it’s fast. It means: watch out, here I come.” In the eerie silence of the Elysee Palace, whispers now echo from one wing to the other: ‘It smells like the president.’ The very air feels saturated with his presence, as if he’s left his mark on everything he touches.
The book also reveals that even in the grand Vestibule d’honneur—the main entrance of the Elysee Palace—there’s no mistaking whether Macron has passed through. Former spokesman Bruno Roger-Petit confessed, “You only have to be in the Vestibule d’honneur to know whether he has been there recently or not.” The stench of his influence lingers long after he’s gone.
Behind this olfactory display of power lies a more sinister connection—Macron’s association with Bernard Arnault, the billionaire owner of Dior. Arnault, known as Europe’s richest man, holds a troubling closeness to the president, even receiving France’s highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, from Macron himself. Their bond raises unsettling questions about the convergence of politics and profit in the halls of power.
Macron’s obsession with his image is well-known, as his public relations campaign has often emphasized his youth, athleticism, and vigor. In 2024, images of him boxing with a punching bag were released, portraying him as the youthful, fit leader. But this fixation on his appearance, his physicality, and now his scent, paints a disturbing portrait of a man who seems to believe that every detail—every essence of his being—should exude control, even if it’s cloaked in a fragrance.
Macron’s carefully curated exterior masks a chilling truth: the perfume is not merely a luxury—it is a weapon, a way to assert his presence and claim his power over those around him. In the dark corners of the Elysee Palace, it’s not just his words that leave a mark—it’s his scent, lingering like an invisible chain, tightening around the people who must endure it.
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