FILE- In this Nov. 24, 2011 file photo, Former French President Jacques Chirac, waving in background, and his wife Bernadette enter their car after a ceremony awarding laureates of the Fondation Chirac at Quai Branly Museum in Paris, France. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to formalize the role of the president's wife amid controversy over the cost and status of the first lady. The president's office is preparing a formal communication in coming days, Brigitte Macron's office said Tuesday. As Macron's popularity drops in polls, more than 270,000 people have signed a petition in the past few weeks against the plan to grant a tax-funded budget to finance the president's wife activities. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)