A strong decision. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, announced that the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron will not participate in COP29 which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11. This is a first since 2015.
The Élysée downplayed this decision, explaining that the president does not systematically participate in all COPs, and the minister assured that France will not practice the “empty chair policy”, despite criticism. Although the latter admitted that she would have preferred that COP29 “not be held in Baku”, she will still go there from November 21 to 24 for the final phase of the negotiation.
Also read:
Emmanuel Macron: Europeans must not “delegate for eternity” their security to the Americans
Tense relations between Paris and Baku
The absence of Emmanuel Macron is part of a tense climate between France and Azerbaijan. Paris strongly condemned Baku's military offensive against Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, an operation which led to the recapture of the region by Azerbaijan and the exodus of more than 120,000 Armenian civilians.
Since then, France has strengthened its ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan's historic adversary, by providing it with military equipment and supporting its position on the international scene. In response, Baku sought to rekindle pro-independence tensions in the French overseas territories. In Azerbaijani media, anti-French sentiment has spread widely, marking a further escalation in bilateral relations, reports Franceinfo.
Also read:
A security breach? Emmanuel Macron's bodyguards shared his location ten times on a racing application
Calls for boycott
Several political figures, including Yannick Jadot, for their part called for a boycott of the event, denouncing the autocratic regime of Azerbaijan. Yannick Jadot accuses Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev of using this COP to legitimize his power, while continuing his repression.
Macron's absence is not isolated. Other world leaders will miss the summit, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is facing a political crisis, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who wants to focus on her institutional responsibilities. Joe Biden and Lula, for health reasons, will also be absent.
