We remember this unconventional handshake between the two men during the reopening of Notre-Dame on December 7. Now that Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, the question arises on the French side of the relations that Emmanuel Macron will maintain with his counterpart. Did the Notre-Dame sequence already say something from this point of view?
“Many saw it as a rapprochement between the two presidents, I do not agree,” explains Taoufik Djebali, lecturer in English studies at the University of Caen Normandy and specialist in transatlantic relations. I saw a French president try to get closer, even physically, to Donald Trump, and it was borderline embarrassing, in front of an indifferent and haughty Trump. Deep down, I don't think the two men like each other very much. »
“Trump has a completely different vision of society”
For Taoufik Djebali, their vision of the world is indeed too far away. Just look at Donald Trump's attack, during his inauguration speech, against transgender people, asserting that the United States would now only recognize “two sexes, male and female.” “In France, and in Western Europe overall, we have moved beyond these questions. Trump has a completely different vision of society and he wants to solve problems, including wars, with his worldview. Relations will therefore be difficult, especially since Trump is more into ideology than before. »
The American president “clearly won the elections,” recalls the teacher-researcher, “so psychologically, he is no longer a “lame duck” [canard boiteux]. Look at the turnaround of the Republican Party, which has practically become a Maga party [Make america great again]. He will not be satisfied with small touches of reform within society, he will move from ideology to action. »
“I understand Macron’s moderate position at the moment”
Obviously, Emmanuel Macron is preparing for all of this. He also repeated during his speech to ambassadors at the beginning of January that “if we decide to be weak and defeatist, there is little chance of being respected by the United States of America of President Trump. » On the other hand, he recalls the need to “cooperate” with the new American president. That France remains a “solid ally” of the United States.
Our file on Donald Trump
-“Obviously, it would be suicidal for Macron, and for Europe, to cut ties with the American president,” warns Taoufik Djebali. Emmanuel Macron has no interest in going into direct confrontation with this president, and I understand his rather moderate position for the moment. But the situation is complicated for him, because he must maintain relations with Trump while showing strength, in particular by strengthening the EU. »
“The tax issue is going to be a big problem for France”
For the lecturer, “two hot topics” will also oppose France and the United States: “defense and the economy”. “In terms of defense, Trump wants NATO members to increase their budgets, currently around 2% of GDP, to around 5%,” he recalls. This would imply that France had a military budget [actuellement de 50 milliards d’euros] around 100 billion euros. It's impossible. There, things will get stuck, and we will not be able to find an arrangement with Trump on this point. »
On the economic front, it is of course Donald Trump's intention to tax a series of foreign products that worries European leaders. “The tax issue is going to be a big problem for France and for Germany, which exports a lot of machine tools and cars. For France, it is aeronautical equipment, luxury products, wine… Knowing that wine is a sector already in great difficulty. This will therefore accentuate the crisis in these sectors, to a level which could become unmanageable for the French government, which has already been trying to contain the anger of farmers for several months. »
Particularly in this issue, “Europe has every interest in unifying its position to confront Donald Trump,” insists Taoufik Djebali.
