King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, arriving by train in Paris, intend through this three-day visit, which will also take them to Lille (north) and Chantilly, near Paris, to “deepen the bilateral relationship”, particularly by defense and economic matters. “We are more than allies, we are friends”, thanks to historical, economic, linguistic and cultural proximity, greeted the French president during a state dinner in honor of his hosts at the Palais de Elysium.
Citing Hergé, Amélie Nothomb, Jacques Brel, Angèle and Stromae, he noted with humor “this French tendency to appropriate (the) great Belgian creators and artists”, being “sincerely and resolutely convinced that they are French”. King Philippe insisted on the common European destiny of the two countries and welcomed the French President’s commitment to greater EU sovereignty.
“At the Sorbonne, you rightly recalled that Europe is mortal. She can die. These words sound like a call to action,” the sovereign underlined. “Together, with the citizens and all the living forces of our countries, we must infuse Europe with this extra soul which will bring about a true European spirit. This European spirit calls for overcoming our differences without ever erasing them,” he said.
The King of the Belgians welcomed by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron under the Arc de Triomphe – Fabien DALLOT, Louis SIBILLE – Paris (AFP)
Lunch. Around a hundred guests were present in the Elysée reception hall, including Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo, President of the European Council Charles Michel, former European Commissioner Thierry Breton as well as the CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault and host Stéphane Bern. First Lady Brigitte Macron and Queen Mathilde had swapped their plum and raspberry-colored outfits from the morning for black and midnight blue dresses and sets.
In the morning, the two heads of state laid a wreath in the colors of the two countries and rekindled the flame in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe to the sound of national anthems. “The King, the Law, Liberty!” » and “Come on, children of the Fatherland!” » then sounded, followed by an interview between the two couples at the Élysée. The king, accompanied by six ministers, then “consulted with Prime Minister Michel Barnier on bilateral relations as well as European and international issues” over lunch at Matignon, Belgian diplomacy announced.
Since the failure of the Macronist camp in the legislative elections and the formation of a coalition with the right, Emmanuel Macron has lost part of his powers to the benefit of the Prime Minister, particularly in economic matters, and is now focusing on his reserved domain, the Foreign Affairs and Defense. The last state visit to France by a Belgian sovereign dates back to 2003, when Albert II and his wife Paola, Philippe’s parents, were welcomed by Jacques Chirac. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, for their part, made a state visit in 2018 to Belgium.
Champion terrestre. The two countries intend in particular to deepen their relationship in “the field of energy transition and defense”, specified Belgian diplomacy. France and Belgium signed an agreement in May for the production of small caliber munitions and announced their desire to strengthen their strategic partnership in land weapons.
They have been linked since 2018 by a partnership called “CaMo” which initially concerned the acquisition by Belgium of French Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles and was extended in 2024 to Serval vehicles and Caesar cannons. The Belgian industrial group John Cockerill also finalized in July the acquisition of the French Arquus, which produces elements of the Caesar cannons and the Griffon and Jaguar armored vehicles, in order to create a “European land champion”
Grateful. Competitiveness, reindustrialization, decarbonization of the economy: the royal stay will also cover several major current EU themes with conferences and company visits, particularly in Lille, according to the Belgian royal palace. France and Belgium share a common border of more than 600 km. Around 39,000 French people go to Belgium every day to work and 8,000 Belgians make the opposite journey, according to official figures communicated on the Belgian side.
At the economic level, Belgium is the leading foreign investor in the Hauts-de-France region, the stop on the last day of the state visit on Wednesday. Emmanuel Macron also underlined that Belgium welcomed “some 8,000 French people suffering from disabilities”, sometimes permanently in its institutions, so “we are infinitely grateful to you”.
Valérie LEROUX
© Agence France-Presse
