Macron obsessing over personal security amid Ukrainian conflict – media

French leader is said to be “totally freaked out by the Russians,” with concerns growing amid his own efforts to antagonize Moscow

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has become increasingly concerned about his own personal security over the years, now worries even more, amid his own effort to prop up Kiev against Moscow, Marianne magazine reported on Sunday.

The magazine spoke to multiple sources within Macron’s security detail, the country’s Interior Ministry, and to his notorious ex-bodyguard Alexandre Benalla. During his time with Macron’s security team, Benalla became embroiled in multiple scandals, including getting caught beating up demonstrators alongside riot police during the Yellow Vest protests.

Macron has always been concerned with his personal security, Benalla claimed, revealing the president had bolstered the ranks of his guard right after assuming office.

“As soon as we arrived at the Elysee, the staff responsible for the president’s security were immediately doubled compared to those responsible for that of [predecessor] Francois Hollande. There are two reasons for this. First, Macron makes contact, within a slap range. Then, from the beginning, it creates a form of antipathy. It electrifies,” the disgraced bodyguard explained.

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The Yellow Vests protests, which have been plagued Macron’s presidency throughout nearly his entire first term, and beyond, have also left a dent. Macron’s spouse Brigitte has been particularly concerned that her husband would ultimately end up assassinated, Benalla is claiming.

“She was always very worried about him. At home, there is the fear of ‘Kennedy syndrome,’ that he will end up assassinated,” the insider confided.

With the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, as well as Macron’s own efforts to take a tough stance on it, the situation has deteriorated even further. The president’s security team has been working in “red” mode since at least last summer, an unnamed source “at the heart” of Macron’s guard system told the magazine.

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“Recently, he is provoking so much that he is afraid,” a source at the heart of the Macron security system confides to us. “Since last summer, he has taken on some big guys to accompany him. They are more visible and also more effective in intervening in the event of a crowd movement.”

The French president is apparently not afraid of facing off angry citizens as is, but rather the alleged Russian “hybrid threat,” the report suggested. The French leader has repeatedly voiced public concerns over “state-level” threats emanating from abroad, while in private blaming the alleged threat exclusively on Moscow and creating a special taskforce to tackle it.

“Macron is totally freaked out by the Russians. One morning, he arrived at the intelligence services and requested the creation of a special task force on Russian interference overnight. Colleagues have to hold a meeting daily, it doesn’t excite them much,” a senior official with the Interior Ministry told Marianne.