Emmanuel Macron began his longest trip since 2017 on Saturday, a tour of South America which he began in Argentina, where he was greeted coldly by President Javier Milei.
Published on 17/11/2024 10:51
Updated on 17/11/2024 11:07
Reading time: 2min
The Macron couple will be very alone later on Sunday November 17 in front of the Church of Santa Cruz, in Buenos Aires, a place of memory of the resistance against the Argentine dictatorship. No trace of President Milei, or one of his representatives, and for good reason: the Argentine president minimizes the atrocities committed in the 1970s and disputes the number of victims. Some of his relatives even show their support for the former torturers, now imprisoned.
And it’s not just history that’s annoying. It must be said that Milei collects superlatives: ultraliberal in economic matters, ultraconservative in terms of values, he is also radically climate skeptic. So, does he want to take his country out of the Paris climate agreement? In any case, the Argentine delegation left the COP29 negotiations in Azerbaijan this week. A sign and a perspective that Emmanuel Macron absolutely wants to avoid.
The French president aims to “connect Milei to the international consensus”, but on what common ground? He also wants to deepen the economic relationship with Argentina. L'French mining and metallurgical company Eramet, whose boss is part of the trip, has just inaugurated a lithium mine in the north of the country. There is also talk of a possible sale of submarines. On the other hand, there is no question of signing as it stands the agreement negotiated for 25 years by the European Union with Mercosur, of which Argentina is a part.
The French president wants to show that he can dialogue with controversial counterparts, Trump and Putin a few years ago, Milei today, but for what result? Galvanized by Donald Trump's victory in the United States, the Argentine president was at Mar a Lago this week to celebrate the event and prepare for the future with his “real” friends. He certainly had a one-on-one dinner on Saturday evening with Emmanuel Macron, before a second interview this afternoon, but is this a sign? No joint speeches are announced on Sunday.
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