Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, should not be given the official status of first lady, according to more than 200,000 people who have signed an online petition, reports BBC News.
"There is no reason why the wife of the head of state should get a budget from public funds," wrote its creator Thierry Paul Valette, an artist and equality campaigner.
A charter that codifies her role is now in preparation, according to the French media.
The French constitution gives no official status to a president's spouse, although they are typically allocated an office in the Elysée Palace, an assistant or two, and security guards.
They are also expected to accompany their partner at official engagements and often become involved in charity work.
In a TV interview during the campaign, he said that, if elected, he would want the role of first lady to be "defined".
"She [Brigitte Macron] will have a say on what she wants to be," he told TF1 in April, "I want to get out of French hypocrisy... When a person lives with you, she must have a role and be recognised in this role."
He then insisted she would not be paid by the taxpayer.
Nonetheless, "hypocrisy" is exactly what his critics are shouting.
Brigitte Macron is certainly getting a lot of attention, in her homeland and worldwide.
French newspaper Libération called her "omnipresent".
"The French elected a man, but it is a certainly a couple that lives in the Elysée," wrote Voici magazine.
"Brigitte! Brigitte! Brigitte!", shouted the crowd when she took the stage after her husband was elected in May. Brigitte T-shirts have featured in fashion magazines ("Our new fashion crush", said Elle magazine.)
But she has also been targeted by abuse, often related to the 24-year age gap between her and her younger husband.
In his petition, Mr Valette made clear the criticism was not personal. "We fiercely denounce all sexist attacks against Brigitte Macron and we do not question her skills," he wrote.
The unofficial first lady receives about 150 letters a week, according to French media. New staff could help her deal with the post.
There are no known plans to give her a salary, but she could get extra money for employees and expenses. One argument is that this creates jobs.
She told Vanity Fair magazine she wanted to use her husband's presidency to "change the lives of disabled people and their families".
Meanwhile, President Macron's popularity has fallen (only 36% of people are satisfied, according to recent poll), leading some critics to speculate that he may be trying to boost his image via his wife.
Others have accused the couple of copying the US model, specifically looking to Michelle Obama, who played a very active role during her husband's time in the White House.
However, the US role of first lady is also unofficial.
"This is pointless as it is nothing new," political analyst Olivier Rouquan told RMC radio. He claims that Mrs Macron has no higher profile than any of her predecessors. He cited Yvonne de Gaulle and Claude Pompidou, as wives that also had a big public image.
"I do not understand how one could institutionalise the status of first lady. It has no democratic meaning," he said. "We do not elect a presidential couple."