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Emmanuel Macron has Trump déjà vu – by Gavin Mortimer for the Spectator – 17.03.25

Emmanuel Macron hosted Mark Carney at the Elysée on Monday as both France and Canada work out how best to deal with Donald Trump.


Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister last week, is in Europe to garner support for Canada amid growing tensions with the USA. In a joint press conference, Carney spoke of Canada’s desire to ‘reinforce its ties with reliable allies like France’.


He added that it was necessary to ensure that ‘France and the whole of Europe works enthusiastically with Canada, the most European of non-European countries, determined like you to maintain the most positive possible relations with the United States.’


Since he returned to the White House in January, Trump has slapped a series of escalating import tariffs on Canadian goods, and also talked of turning Canada into the 51st State.


Macron used the press conference to focus on Ukraine, and he pledged France’s continued support for Kyiv and called on Russia to demonstrate ‘clear commitments’ towards agreeing a lasting peace in Ukraine in order to guarantee ‘the security of the whole of Europe’.


Macron might have had a touch of déjà vu as he stood alongside Carney, with Trump never far from their minds. In May 2017, a fortnight after Macron’s election to office, he met Trudeau on the eve of the G7 Summit in Sicily. It was, said Radio Canada, a show of unity ‘between two partners before embarking on stormy discussions with the new American president’.


It feels like another age now. Back then, the pre-occupations of Macron and Trudeau were, according to Radio Canada, free trade, the fight against climate change and gender equality.


These were the totems of every self-respecting progressive leader in 2017, along with a conviction that Trump was an anomaly who would soon vanish.


Macron and Trudeau were the two youngest leaders of the G7 countries and their bromance was evident from the outset. ‘‘I’m delighted to have someone younger and even more dynamic at the G7 table,’ said Trudeau of Macron.


The French president was just as smitten. ‘Justin has been an inspiration to many. I think we also belong to a generation of leaders who are going to renew common practices,’ he told reporters.

Neither Macron or Trudeau lived up to their early hopes, and while one is now history the other presides over a country still mired in strife following last year’s inconclusive legislative election.


On Saturday the popular Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, told a newspaper that if France – by which he means Macron – softened its position towards Algeria then he would resign. Relations between the two countries are the worst they’ve been for many years, primarily because Algeria refuses to accept its citizens who have been deported from France after breaking the law.


Retailleau, supported by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, wants to impose sanctions against Algeria, including the revision of a 1968 immigration treaty, but Macron is opposed to such measures.


According to some of Macron’s advisors, he ‘fears’ a reaction among France’s large Algerian diaspora if he takes a tough line with Algiers.


The other major announcement came on Sunday from Bayrou. Asked if the government would return the age of retirement to 62, the PM said it would remain at 64, as passed into law in 2023. This provoked a furious reaction from trade unions, Socialists and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally who want the age lowered back to 62.


Will their anger prompt them to join forces to bring down the government with a vote of no confidence (as they did to Michel Barnier in December)? The mood music on Monday from the left and Le Pen suggests this option is on the table.


It’s not all doom and gloom for Macron. An opinion poll at the weekend revealed since Trump’s inauguration his approval rating among the French is up six points. Admittedly, it’s still only 27 per cent but Macron will take it. Who knows what lies around the corner for him and for France.



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Written by Gavin Mortimer


Gavin Mortimer is a British author who lives in Burgundy after many years in Paris. He writes about French politics, terrorism and sport.


Mark Carney and Emmanuel Macron (Photo: Getty)



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