Macron airs other side of ‘bromance’
UNITED STATES: French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn sharp contrasts with US President Donald Trump’s world view, laying out a firm vision of global leadership that rejects ‘‘the illusion of nationalism’’ in a candid counterweight to Trump’s appeals to put ‘‘America first’’.
In the spotlight of a speech to the US Congress yesterday, Macron was courteous but firm, deferential but resolute as he traced the lines of profound division between himself and Trump on key world issues: climate change, trade and the Iran nuclear deal.
A day after the French leader had put on a show of warmth and brotherly affection for Trump at the White House, his blunt speech prizing engagement over isolationism reinforced the French leader’s emerging role as a top defender of the liberal world order.
‘‘We can choose isolationism, withdrawal and nationalism. This is an option. It can be tempting to us as a temporary remedy to our fears,’’ Macron said. ‘‘But closing the door to the world will not stop the evolution of the world. It will not douse but inflame the fears of our citizens.’’
Issuing a bleak warning, he urged against letting ‘‘the rampaging work of extreme nationalism shake a world full of hopes for greater prosperity’’.
As Trump weighs pulling out of the 2015 Iran accord, Macron made it clear that France will not follow.
Macron later told French reporters he had no ‘‘inside information’’ on Trump’s decision on the Iran deal but noted it was clear the US president ‘‘is not very much eager to defend it’’.
Macron saved some of his most pointed comments during the speech for the Trump administration’s policy on climate change, implicitly lamenting the president’s moves to withdraw from the global emissions pact reached in Paris. Macron said humans are ‘‘killing our planet’’ and added: ‘‘Let us face it: There is no Planet B.
‘‘On this issue, it may happen we have disagreements between the United States and France. It may happen, like in all families,’’ Macron said. ‘‘But that’s for me a short-term disagreement.’’
Macron’s hour-long speech to Congress, delivered in English, provoked obvious delight from congressional Democrats, who erupted repeatedly in cheers and ovations for him – a contrast to the mostly silent reaction from Republicans.
Macron called for communal action to address ‘‘urgent’’ threats to what he called fundamental values.
‘‘Today, the international community needs to step up our game and build the 21st century world order,’’ he said.
It wasn’t all criticism from Macron. He sought to showcase the historic bond between the US and France, touting the two allies’ ‘‘constant attachment to freedom and democracy’’. Yet he also mentioned ‘‘fake news’’, a point of contention between Trump and others, and warned that lies disseminated online were threatening freedoms worldwide. –AP