Controversy over public funds: suspicions surrounding Brigitte Macron's daughter stir up debates, Elysée Palace dismisses allegations
False Rumor Busted: Élysée Palace Did Not Buy Laurence Auzière's Artwork for a Whopping €560,000
ℹ️ By Alexis Fargeaudoux, Published on [Date not specified]
A poisonous piece of misinformation has been spreading like wildfire on social media, alleging that the Élysée Palace bought a painting by Laurence Auzière, daughter of Brigitte Macron, for an alarming €560,000. The initial source of this hoax has since retracted their statements.
© Getty_Images
The Élysée Palace slammed the claims as baseless. Contrary to the popular uproar on various social media platforms, an alleged purchase of a €560,000 artwork by Laurence Auzière, who goes by the pseudonym Laurence Graffenstaden, was never made by the Palace.
"Everything is false," the Élysée affirmed to Le Parisien on May 2. Some online commentators expressed outrage over a potential purchase, claiming that it would artificially inflate the value of the artist's work. However, the alleged price tag of €560,000 was exposed as a gross exaggeration by the rumor's original source. According to Pierre Champigny, the individual responsible for the misinformation, the actual price range is between €8,000-€10,000. Despite his clarification, he remains tight-lipped about any concrete evidence to support his initial claims.
The First Lady and Fake News: A Recurring Dance
This is not the first time the Macron family has been at the heart of social media conspiracy theories. One persistent theory suggests that Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, is a transgender woman whose birth name was Jean-Michel. Both Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron have dismissively addressed these rumors in the past.
Brigitte Macron's daughter, Laurence Auzière, made her debut in the contemporary art world last November with her partner, Mathieu Gasser, under the alias Laurence Graffenstaden. They concoct their works by using human cells, which are then illustrated and painted. Their works are showcased on the Saint Paul auction house's website.
The Real Deal: How Much Does the First Lady Cost the State Budget?
There is no official budget or salary allocated for the First Lady's position in France. Costs related to Brigitte Macron's public activities (e.g., staff, travel, security) are typically covered under broader Élysée Palace operational budgets. It is difficult to provide precise figures without reviewing the Élysée’s annual budget reports, which do not seem to be publically available in the provided search results. However, based on estimates, the annual costs for a first lady's activities could range between €300,000 and €1 million, depending on travel and event commitments. As there is limited information on the Macrons' expenditures, it is essential to approach speculative reports with a grain of salt.
In this fast-paced, digitally-dominated era, it's vital to stay skeptical and fact-check information before sharing it with others. Separating the wheat from the chaff helps safeguard the integrity of public discourse and ensures the continued credibility of information disseminated online. Always question the source, and dig deeper before believing or passing on any news.
- The claims that Getty_Images circulating on social media about the Élysée Palace purchasing a painting by Laurence Auzière, otherwise known as Laurence Graffenstaden, for an alleged €560,000 were exposed as inaccuracies after the initial source retracted their statements.
- Despite some people's outrage over potential price manipulation in the art world, the actual price range for a Laurence Auzière painting is between €8,000-€10,000, according to the individual responsible for the misinformation, Pierre Champigny.
- Labeled as baseless by the Élysée Palace, the claim of purchasing the painting was found not to have occurred, contradicting popular beliefs, especially on platforms like general-news and crime-and-justice.
- Politics and the Macron family, particularly Brigitte Macron and her daughter Laurence Auzière, have had recurring encounters with fake news, such as the persistent theory suggesting that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman whose birth name was Jean-Michel.
