Last Wednesday, November 6, Emmanuel Macron rushed to send his congratulations to the newly elected Donald Trump, in English, without even waiting for confirmation by the Associated Press agency. “Ready to work with you as we did for four years,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) at 9:08 a.m. He was then the first European leader to come forward, and one of the very first in the world. Last night, the American president returned the favor: he announced that he would go to Paris next Sunday to attend the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame, among around fifty heads of state. And he congratulated his counterpart for “his remarkable work” which allowed the cathedral “to regain all its glory”.
This surprise trip will be a protocol headache, because Jill Biden, the American first lady, will also be present to represent her husband, a devout Catholic. But above all, it will be Donald Trump's first trip abroad since his re-election – and his big return to the international scene. And perhaps, too, a reconciliation, in appearance at least. Because between the two men, the relationship is turbulent.
It all started on May 25, 2017 in Brussels, with a six-second handshake, which became famous because it resembled a “mano a mano”. Macron has only been president for eleven days. Trump, for almost four months. Both were elected without any electoral experience, defying the predictions and the candidates of the “system”. During this first meeting, Donald Trump extends his hand, which Emmanuel Macron grabs to the point of turning his knuckles white, with a look of defiance in his eyes. Trump does not hold it against him since less than two months later, he accepted his invitation to participate in the July 14 ceremonies, on the Place de la Concorde. Macron takes great care of the American president and his wife Melania, whom he invites to dinner on the Eiffel Tower, at the grand restaurant Le Jules Verne. Ten months later, he was in turn invited to Washington. In May 2018, Emmanuel Macron was the first foreign president to receive a state visit to Donald Trump's White House. A great diplomatic success for France.
An air of distrust between the two men
But relations turned sour in November 2018 during the centenary of the end of the First World War. Trump is then in Paris and in a very bad mood after Emmanuel Macron's declarations on the creation of a European army, which he takes as a “very insulting” anti-American provocation. Between the two men, the honeymoon seems to be over and there is no shortage of disagreements (withdrawal of the United States from the Paris agreement on climate change, withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement, etc.)
Since then, Donald Trump has been able to be very contemptuous of Emmanuel Macron, 31 years his junior. A year ago, guest of honor at the New York Young Republican Club gala, he called him a “tricky little guy” from the podium. During the last presidential campaign, he often made fun of his French accent and regularly threatened to increase customs duties on French wines and champagnes “by 100%” if France sanctions or taxes American companies more.
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But Donald Trump loves France: he recently proved it by appointing a close friend, Charles Kushner, father-in-law of his daughter Ivanka, ambassador to Paris.
According to the Elysée, the two men had a “very warm” 25-minute conversation on November 6, during which they discussed international crises, in particular Ukraine and American military support for Russian troops. On Sunday, Emmanuel Macron will resume the discussion and will again try to persuade Trump not to abandon kyiv. It won't be easy.
France
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