Macron's Blunt Telegram Messages Revealed in Françoise Degois' New Book

Françoise Degois, a former adviser to Ségolène Royal, a former political journalist at France Inter and a regular commentator on TV talk shows, publishes a new book on Thursday, "Vous êtes tous trop durs avec moi" (You are all too hard on me), a hard-hitting volume drawn from her private conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron, extracts of which have been published in the Le Figaro daily and the weekly news magazine Marianne.

After "Un président ne devrait pas dire ça…" (Gérard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme), which marked the end of François Hollande's presidency, it is now the turn of his successor Emmanuel Macron to be the subject of a book made up of unfiltered confidences.

Unlike the former Socialist president, the current head of state found out only a few days ago that his musings sent via Telegram to editorial writer Françoise Degois were going to be made public.

It is the head of state who starts the conversation in the summer of 2024, to thank Françoise Degois for having supported Brigitte Macron on X when she was the target of conspiracy-laden messages accusing her of being a man.

"I thank you and my wife does too. Beyond political differences, what matters are your words," he writes, signing with an "EM". Françoise Degois seizes the opportunity and continues her exchanges with the country's leading office-holder.

Her book confirms in particular that Emmanuel Macron never intended to entrust the coalition of the New Popular Front, which came first in the 2024 legislative elections, with the task of forming a government.

Macron denies any reckless decisions

"Only she and all of you believe she could one day make it to Matignon," he writes, referring to Lucie Castets, a candidate for the post of prime minister.

Because for the head of state, "it is the RN (right-wing National Rally) that won" after his failed dissolution, which largely condemned the second half of his five-year term.

Macron does not share the view that it was a reckless political decision. "This dissolution, which cost me so much in every respect, still managed to block the RN there. I am sure of it. It was ready for the autumn but not for June," he writes again.

In their exchanges, the editorial writer and the head of state discuss the political landscape in general.

Gabriel Attal? "We gave him far too much. All the time. Far too much". Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed? "LFI's" (La France insoumise, editor's note) "strategy is crazy but I do not believe in it". Emmanuel Macron lavishes praise on Olivier Faure, the first secretary of the Socialist Party.

"He is a good guy, a really good one, Olivier," he writes, judging that the man who has since suffered a heavy defeat to Raphaël Glucksmann should run as a candidate: "Let him go for it, Olivier. The others are losers. If you take them one by one!".

"Come on now, he has to go. He has to charge ahead, he can take on Méluche" (Jean-Luc Mélenchon, editor's note) ". I took him on, it is no picnic but you get there," he encourages.

In other exchanges, Macron complains about the way the press treats him, denouncing hatchet-job articles and those who feed them. "It is not three pieces that make the difference," he wants to believe, castigating journalists who allow themselves to write about his actions without ever having met him. "Often, you and your colleagues, you are all too hard on me," he complains.

Macron's future after he leaves office

As he cannot run again for the presidency of the Republic because of the two-term limit, Macron takes stock a few months before the end of his time at the Élysée.

"We have moved in eight years. We have done a lot against separatism, for purchasing power," he says in June 2026.

What about his future after he leaves the Élysée next spring? While he does not go into detail on this subject, he drops a few hints.

On 5 July, Le JDD, a newspaper owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré whose editorial line is close to the far right, claimed that the head of state could work for billionaire Xavier Niel.

"Utter, absolute nonsense", Macron reacts when Françoise Degois questions him to check this information and mentions the names of other billionaires as possible landing spots.

"I will not go and work for anyone. I prefer a small place of my own to a big place in someone else's home. In any case, if I do business, it will be mine and I am thinking rather outside France. But I will be neither their employee nor in their debt. Never", he insists.