The Élysée Palace refuses to publish Macron’s health reports, threatens France-Soir journalists

The Élysée Palace refuses to publish Emmanuel Macron’s health reports. France-Soir, threatened for investigating, takes legal action. An explosive case concerning presidential transparency.

As France goes through a period of political and social turmoil, a taboo subject has resurfaced: Emmanuel Macron’s health. In a country where mistrust of institutions is at an all-time high, the Élysée Palace’s silence on the head of state’s physical and psychic condition is raising questions and even causing concern.

An isolated president facing a divided public

For several months now, the President of the Republic has seemed increasingly alone. His former allies are distancing themselves, crises are coming thick and fast, and the French people are full of doubt.

Back in 2022, Emmanuel Macron publicly acknowledged that he was going through a period of “exhaustion.” Three years later, no official information has been released to allay people’s concerns. In a modern democracy, this raises questions.

Some former military personnel, who have formed an association called Place d’Armes, have even called on the head of state to “step down.” This is yet another sign that the divide between the top and the bottom has reached a level rarely seen in the Fifth Republic.

The promise of transparency, forgotten

During his presidential campaigns, Emmanuel Macron vowed to establish total transparency, including about his health. A promise that was quickly forgotten.

Since December 2020, only one official medical report has been published by Dr. Jean-Christophe Perrochon, the president’s chief physician. Since then? Complete silence. No updates, no follow-up, no public communication.

France-Soir therefore decided to investigate. The aim was to inform citizens, not out of morbid curiosity, but in the name of democratic duty and the fundamental right to transparency.

A doctor found and silence imposed

After several weeks of investigation, France-Soir journalists managed to locate Dr. Perrochon. A request was sent to him by bailiff to obtain a new health report on the president, in accordance with his election promises of transparency. The response? Total silence. A silence that, in the current context, speaks volumes.

But the case took an even more surprising turn. On June 12, 2025, the secretary general of the Élysée Palace, Patrice Faure, sent a letter to the editorial staff, ordering France-Soir to cease all contact with the president’s doctor. Failure to comply would result in legal action. This was nothing less than a legal threat against a media outlet that was simply doing its job of investigating.

When medical confidentiality becomes a political weapon

In the letter, the Élysée cited a breach of professional confidentiality, describing the journalists’ actions as “astonishing.” An elegant way of saying: move along, there’s nothing to see here. The problem is that this stance only fuels further suspicion. Because if everything was fine, why refuse to talk about it?

France-Soir responded through legal channels. An official request was filed with the Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA), followed by an appeal for abuse of power to the Paris Administrative Court. The issue goes far beyond simple media curiosity: it is a question of whether or not the president’s health is a matter of public interest.

Based on this case law, France-Soir raised a priority preliminary ruling on constitutionality (QPC): can medical confidentiality be invoked to conceal information relating to the health of the President of the Republic, even though his health affects the stability of the country?

Opacity fuels mistrust

The Élysée Palace hides behind the legality of medical confidentiality. But this opacity, at a time of international tensions and French nuclear arsenal, is becoming difficult to maintain.

Emmanuel Macron’s decisions on the war in Ukraine, the pooling of nuclear weapons, and massive military investments are being scrutinized. In this context, ignoring questions about the president’s lucidity and health is less a matter of respect for privacy than a refusal to be accountable.

A major democratic issue

The president’s health is not a trivial matter: it is a pillar of national security. A leader who is psychically or physically weakened does not make the same decisions as a leader in full possession of their faculties.

And when France finds itself, in the words of several observers, “in a deep democratic crisis,” transparency becomes a duty, not an option.

France-Soir versus the Élysée: the battle continues

Despite threats and pressure, France-Soir is determined to receive an answer regarding Macron’s health, in the name of the French people.

The question now before the courts is simple: should the law be changed so that the health of the head of state is no longer a state secret?

 

yogaesoteric
October 22, 2025