Macron hosts EU power summit as clouds gather over presidency

in Paris

in Berlin EMMANUEL MACRON will seek to prove France is taking the lead in Europe tomorrow when he hosts a summit with Chancellor Angela Merkel, of Germany, and Italian and Spanish leaders.

The get-together between western Europe’s top leaders bar Britain’s comes in the wake of a diplomatic row between the French president and Poland, which criticised the 39-year-old as “arrogant” and “inexperienced”.

After a faultless start to his presidency in terms of statesmanship, clouds are gathering for Mr Macron. His popularity has plunged at home and he faces a potential backlash against labour reforms he intends to push through by decree next month – just as French workers and unions return to work after their summer break.

He also came under fire this week after it emerged that he had spent €26,000 (£24,000) on make-up in his first three months in power. The freshfaced centrist won May’s elections with a promise to “re-found Europe” after trouncing arch-Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen of the Front National. He duly rushed off to Germany after his inauguration, pledging to draw up a “common road map” with Mrs Merkel, calling for a joint budget, parliament and finance minister for the Eurozone.

Germany blew hot and cold over the proposals, but precious little appears to have been achieved since. However, in the past week, Mr Macron has embarked on a fresh drive to deepen the economic integration of a bloc he says must be more protective of its citizens. It started with a three-day tour of central and eastern Europe, where he sought backers for his push to tighten labour rules over so-called “posted” workers.

He wants to reform an EU directive that allows people from poorer EU states to work on contracts that need only guarantee the host country’s minimum wage, and allow taxes and social charges to be paid in the home nation. Calling the system a “betrayal of the European spirit”, he said it created

unfair competition in wealthier nations such as France and Germany.

But with Poland – with its 500,000 posted workers in other EU states – dragging its heels, a spat erupted on Friday when Mr Macron accused the Poles of choosing to “go against European interests in many areas”, with the risk of becoming “isolated” from the bloc.

The row will no doubt be discussed tomorrow at the Elysée, along with terrorism. Aides said the focus was due to be on defence cooperation and immigration, issues of governance and a common budget of the Eurozone.