We can certainly cut the new French President some slack for initially trying a different diplomacy with the US President toward reconciling international policy from the often ambiguous approach exhibited by many of France's previous leaders during times of transatlantic discord. However, Macron's skill at statecraft and political survival are now being tested by his repeated inefficacy to dissuade the US President from the decisions he has already made. Macron's best move now may be to try conferring with his new friend in shaping future policies that align Franco-European and US interests. It may be a less flashy and headline-grabbing mode of international statesmanship, but it may also better serve the interests of the French people and the world.
I'd take Macron as a leader over Trump in a heartbeat.
2
President Macron tried twice and failed miserably - once to save the Paris Accords and then to save the Iran deal. His decadent displays of fawning were nauseating.
It is time for France and Europe to pave the way for a different type of relationship with America. We must extricate ourselves from dependence on American financial markets, on USA military might for our security and reject those American values and policies that we find distasteful and harmful. We too can use our economic clout to defend a European vision of a more collaborative world but Europeans need to pull together to make that happen. So, it is time for the 3-M’s (Macron, May, Merkel) to develop a strategy that all of Europe can buy into, one which politely ignores the new America, and gets on with making the world a better place.
3
Hugging,backslapping, holding hands tight, kissing and so called dandruff dusting off went too far, bordering vulgar disposition in public by Mr Trump and Mr Macron.This is unprecedented scene displayed on the TV screen which ought to have been a sober,balanced and diplomatic encounter between two democratically elected leaders on the World Stage.It is exhibiting a distasteful ,apologetic behaviour by Mr Trump and Mr Macron before the World audience and has been difficult for parents to explain it to their children.
Due concessions for such a mis step may be attributed to political novice plauging both Trump and Macron.It is good that French sensitivity and desire for decency and civility in public behaviour has expressed its resentment.Let us hope Mr Macron will grow sudtler and more diplomatic from this disastrous display.
Mr Trump is loyal to nobody.He is a victim of his own narcissm and his maglomanic Nationalism mired in populism.It is impoosible to debate populism because it is not an ideology and it is irrationalty.
A populist leader is at best an irrational person so to expect some modicum of rationalty from such a leader like Iran deal, Paris Climate Accord or Batclan killing is expecting impossible.It is a lesson for rational leaders of the World.
If Macron had succeeded he would have been lauded
It was a gamble but didn’t pay off
Lesson learned - Europe, you’re on your own
2
I'm sure Macron felt like taking a shower after having been pawed by Trump.
4
I adore this president and approve our estrangement from decadent over-the-hill Europe, a dead continent lost in political correctness and ethic masochism.
Macron is the new Tony Blair. Zut alors, mate.
7
There is something off-putting in Macron's seeming affection for Trump to many of us who find Trump revolting. I think we'd like to think we'd treat him with the most minimal of respect appropriate if we ran into him in any setting. That's just me, a designer in a bubble.
In regard to the French, I'd actually be shocked if most weren't disgusted. Despite the rise of populist right politics the world over & including in France, France is still to many of us a beacon of freedom, culture and individualism tempered by equity. Trump and his fan base are a threat to all of it. If Macron has been performing / politicking we can only assume he's not getting the results he's after. There may come a day when sucking up to these types means one's literal survival. Since we're not there yet I can only roll my eyes.
2
The word "shallow" comes to mind with Macron whose fascination with the exotic and perverse in nature reveals itself, among others of his choices, in schmoozing with the idiot Trump. He embarrasses France and we Americans know embarrassment!
2
Everyone who touches Trump gets dirty. Everyone.
11
Well at least they love Trump in Britain, so Theresa May should be fine.....oh...wait...
4
As a Brit living in France but who spends a lot of time in the UK, I'd characterize the difference in attitude to Trump as a hauty, uncomprehending disdain from the French (mixed with a certain infifference) but an almost visceral revulsion from the Brits. It will be fascinating to see what happens when Trump finally makes that State Visit to the UK he's supposed to be making.
Lie down with dogs, get fleas.
2
Give Macron some credit/Donnez-lui du crédit. No other leader's strategy has worked. Perhaps a touchy-feely flattery/bromance (as cringeworthy as that's been to watch) was - in the interest of denuclearization and climate change - worth a shot? Ok, it didn't work and now that it's failed (along with every other approach), he should stop. Only if he continues is he worthy of the criticism he's receiving. It's not his fault that America elected a neanderthal-like bull in a China shop to decide on the most important matters of our time. The fault is ours/La faute est la nôtre.
10
I thought recent research showed that Neanderthals were more intelligent than we previously thought?
2
A most ridiculous and embarrassing display of obsequious behavior.
"You like me. You really like me."
2
Disgusted with Macron. Angela Merkel is my hero, one of the few left. She isn’t stupidly bowing down to the trump monster.
2
Agreed. Her "congratulatory" message to Trump on his election was a model of integrity. (Compare British PM's sycophantic reaction and immediate offer of a State Visit.)
Macron failed miserably in trying to act like immature Trump. He was trying to show Trump I can also make hand and body gestures. When Trump makes gestures he does so because he doesn’t know how to talk on any subject for more than a minute or so and therefore starts holding hands, pat in the back etc. Macron had no reason to do that. Trump is functionally illiterate. He thinks every body who voted for him must have been an idiot. Reminds one of Groucho Marx who said ‘ I wouldn’t want to join a club that would have me as its member.
2
Everybody pays a price for dealing with Trump. Israel should take note of this fact.
7
The French are correct. Mr. Macron should understand Americans as well as the French were cringing during the awful display of Trump's bromance. Trump's behavior is the definition of meanness. Watching world leaders kowtow to Trump is repulsive and discouraging for everyone. The only thing Trump understands is crossing his palm with money.
6
Give Macron a break, please. He humiliated himself to save the Iran deal and the Western alliance. I admire him for it and so should the French!
11
Yes, but he misjudged Trump in ever thinking he could influence him one iota on the big issues like climate change and Iran. Parallels with the appeasement policy of French and British appeasement of a certain German politician back in the 1930s, based on the catastrophically mistaken and misguided belief that his outlandish and narcissistic behaviours were all bluster and that underneath he was a reasonable human being just like the rest of us.
1
As soon as anyone in the world ''normalizes'' this President and administration, then they are going to certainly open themselves up to criticism and pay the price politically at home.
It is that simple.
2
Macron is so much smarter than the commenters here. His investment in a good personal relationship with Trump is for the long term. Most consequences of it will never be obvious to civilians; historians will be the judges of that. The opposite of his subtle diplomacy is Hillary Clinton's failed attempt at a "restart" of US-Russia relations and the disastrous consequences that is still having today.
2
If he had succeeded in getting Trump not to ditch the Iran deal by flattery of that vain man, he would have been everyone's hero. He tried. I applaud him for it.
8
Mr. Macron did not comport himself as a serious world leader. Rather he appeared to act more like a fawning fan of a reality TV celebrity. In this fashion not only did he denigrate himself but as well the magnificent country he represents.
At this point in his life I have the feeling Macron has learned to feel secure enough with himself not to care what other people think of what he does.
1
Yes, Trump is toxic.
But he's also a catalyst for change that is desperately needed, which his predecessors and their counterparts in Europe have been oblivious to, literally for decades.
If they had done their jobs, Trump would be doing Bitcoin infomercials aired at 3 AM in Topeka, and the EU wouldn't be on the verge of collapse.
France has monumental challenges to confront.
It should focus more on youth unemployment, economic growth, and trying to save the EU than Trump's bromance with Macron.
And it's time for Europe to grow up.
All this talk lately from both Merkel and Macron about "taking control of our destiny because we can't rely on America to coddle us anymore" should be an embarrassment for the half a billion people in the EU, since it's an admission that most of them have been dependent on America for almost three quarters of a century now.
The European/American alliance will be more important than ever in the coming decade, as we both confront the daunting challenges of the Age of Automation, and try to repair the extraordinary damage that globalization inflicted on the West.
Trump is our first iteration at a course-correction, and it's not going particularly well.
But Europe will soon be a fast-follower in trying to adapt to the new realities of the 21st century, and will quickly find that it's not easy.
So it should be grateful for Trump, because he diverts attention from the train wreck that is Europe at the moment.
3
Relax, France. Your guy knows what he’s doing and, frankly, he is stomaching a lot of the awkwardness and diplomacy that most of us couldn’t handle in interacting with Trump, all to try and keep him steered in vaguely the right direction on behalf of sensibly minded people around the world.
4
This is incredibly puzzling to me:
...
“I’ve known him for a year. I have a lot of respect for him,” Mr. Macron said. “People know we have a warm relationship. But a warm relationship is not the relationship of a magician.”
...
Why does Mr. Macron have a lot of respect for Mr. Trump?
Why did he think he could change Trump's mind?
I am starting to worry for France.
1
It seems that France, Europe fight real, existential issues with the wrong ennemy. In my opinion it is not the US' fault that terrorists can freely enter an Europe where the infrastructure (legal and law enforcement) to cope with those already in is pathetic. Based on mr. Macron's speach on the Capitol Hill, strong multiculti is high on France's and Europe's agenda. Once again, the lack of respect for other cultures is not in the US but rather in the theocratic Iran, the cleptocratic Russia, in Turkey, in the Muslim no - go zones in Paris, Berlin, London, etc. Moreover, is difficult to blame the US for the secret Iranian nuclear weapon program in cooperation with North Korea and others. In any case Europe is free to fight the US as a proxy for a Tzar, a Sultan and an Ayatollah.
"France “prostituted itself” and “humiliated itself in its relations with the U.S.,” Daniel Fasquelle, a member of Parliament from a center-right party in the opposition, told reporters"
If it's any consolation, the Republican Party has also “prostituted itself” and “humiliated itself" in its relations with Trump.
Macron's mistake will barely be a blip in French history, a minor embarrassment
Trump's supporters have produced a stain on the U.S that will be with us for decades. Even a November 2018 Blue Wave will only slow down the spreading of that stain. But it's a start.
1
Living in Paris, I found this article very surprising. This is not at all a talk of town . Macron is unpopular in France because of his reforms not because of his recent trip to the US. No one is talking about that anymore. The article mentioned a poll with 55% of French disapproving of Macron's trip to the US, but 55% is the percentage of French who in general disapproved of Macron, so this just says that people who disapproved of Macron also disapproved his relationship with D.Trump. Also, Daniel Fasquelle and Clémentine Autain are well known anti-Americans, they hated President Obama, they hate Trump, so their opinion is not exactly balanced. The only fair representation in this article is that, indeed, a vast majority of French were very offended by the very crude remarks Donald Trump at the NRA meeting about the Bataclan. Again, the French don't really care about the Macron/Trump relationship, or at least that is not why Macron is unpopular right now in France.
18
Marcon won with low turn out and a detested opponent (like Trump...) and has no popular mandate.
As an ex-Investment Banker, He is implementing a liberal economic program (classic liberal, not the weird version practiced in America) that is causing labour unrest.
Foreign policy is a diversion from domestic and European issues.
The 5 Star/Northern League coalition in Italy , the right ward swing of eastern Europe and Brexit spell the end of the Franco-German leadership through the EU. He needs a new power axis, and the US may fit better than Merkels Germany.
Macron tried as much as possible to keep the US and Trump in the most decent international positions and decisions. He knew too well that there existed only very little hope in doing so, and acknowledged it publicly here in France. But he had to try it, and push as much as he could, this was absolutely mandatory. As this is exactly what one should expect from best friends, when messing up with one's own life and jeopardying the lifes of others.
1
Let us assume for a moment that the end justifies the means. The problem is that there are no end results here : neither on steel nor on climate nor on Iran (where the President chose to announce a decision -hard exit- that hurts first and foremost European firms on V Day, a delicate attention). There is no doubt that President Macron can talk the talk. But walk the walk? Within a week, he exhorts the Europeans in Aachen not to be "weak" and not to be "submissive", and today in Sofia explains that firms that want to stay in Iran despite American sanctions should stay (none will, of course), but that he will not, of course, countersanction American firms for "geostrategic reasons". Should we understand that geostrategy dictates that Europe should stay submissive to the USA, or, as the Finance Minister very rightly if undiplomatically said, accept to remain a vassal of Washington?
The problem is that in the case of Iran the only reasonable option is leaving even this will look like a political submissive gesture in public no matter how you slice it.
It´s not because US is so strong but ties to Iran are so weak for many reasons not only due to former or actual sanctions. So there is "no option" in this situation. The appearance of submissive gesture is not to avoid but this is not substantial. Mr. Trump has pushed the button of a time bomb in fact. If a partner who has infuriated Mr. Trump is much stronger and attractive than Iran is in it´s present self-inflicted situation the cards would be reshuffled immediately.
So the tactical takeaway of the Iran incident is to keep calm and prepare for this case that is surely coming soon.
In the last months Ms. Merkel had been meeting all tactical needs in this situation by keeping her mouth shut, not acting like a lapdog trying to win a 3 days contest of giving paws, she had even avoided to get in the "dandruff reach length" of Mr. Trump when a camera was near, she is making clear but not too bold stances of eternal resistance that have to be withdrawn 2 weeks later as everybody knows already, she does not reveal essentials of the alliances required in future in all networks and she is not demanding things from crucial allies they can never deliver.
It´s the turn of the old hands in business again after the young blood Mr. Macron has worn out himself in his daring first wave. Mr. Trump surely knows.
What matters is what does Macron do next. He tried flattery with Trump and failed to make an impact on Trump. It is now pretty obvious that there is nothing one can do with a thoughtless man who lives in universe all his own. European unity in the face of Trump is essential, if Macron and Merkel cannot get most of the EU behind a policy that can counteract Trump's idiocies, Europe will look helplessly on as the institutions that brought 70 years of peace and prosperity to most of Europe disintegrate. The EU failed during the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and mishandled the Greek economic collapse. It cannot afford similar mistakes in the future. US sanctions on European companies that do not comply with US diktats must be counteracted by similar sanctions on US corporations. US corporations are sensitive to the bottom line and their response will be to pressure Congress to oppose foolish policies. However supine Republicans are to Trump once corporate money for campaigns dries up they will find their backbones are stiffening.
3
Watching Macron and Trump was nauseating....Macron the well-trained poodle next to the oafish, uncouth djt. The intelligent poodle thought he would get his way by pleasing his ignorant master. Instead, he looked like a sycophantic fool. Nice try, Macron but I think djt wants you to beg and speak on command...and perhaps lick his boots. Why would anyone subjugate themselves to orange man....oh, right....to avoid a nuclear holocaust and to save the planet. Worthy goals, I suppose for such a great sacrifice.
5
Wish everybody would stop tippy-toeing around....trump is a liar, call him a liar; when he's a boor, call him a boor; when he's a jerk, call him a jerk! Stop the euphemisms in print and on television....he is not the people's choice as president. He does not deserve respect from anyone.
14
Macron probably thought he was doing the responsible thing by palling around with Trump and trying to talk some sense into the guy. But, of course, that was mission impossible. Macron's dignity and self-respect took a hit, but at least he tried.
4
Yes, Macron looked stupid and undignified in his embraces of Donald Trump. Don't these people have consultants to tell them when they are making themselves look like fools?
Macron's wife is older and she should have known better that his behavior was going to have consequences in France with almost everybody in France.
Macron looked like a light weight with no gravitas. He basically let himself be abused and tossed around by Tump. I was really embarrased for him when I saw him on TV.
Obviously the French people are not going to forget this ridiculous display of naiveté.
4
I know I thought less of him.
1
From the liberals. Just like when Obama was president...and the right in France HATED HIS GUTS! More fake news. More why Americans don't trust the liberal media.
While I admire the effort Macron put into this, the backlash is as it should be. You don't make "friends" with a lying racist who cares nothing for anyone but himself.
Europe should treat Trump the way he treats them. After all that is only fair. As such, they should immediately sever all ties with the United States, until Trump is out of office. Trump wants to "go it alone"? So be it. Let him have his cake.
Trump isn't doing anything internationally to benefit our country. He is doing things to benefit himself. And only himself.
Donald "tough on trade" Trump decides to save Chinese tech firm ZTE, immediately after China agrees to a $500,000,000 "loan" which directly benefits Trump Corporation?
We are in uncharted waters. We have been since the day of his so called "election".
Fortunately for Trump, the GOP has, over the years, successfully legalized the vast majority of ways in which a politician can be bribed. To the detriment of 99% of all Americans.
Corruption has been legalized under our very noses. And 40% of the country is still applauding.
12
This is an interesting article.
What the French may be missing is that it is in their interest to reflect and act on Mr. Trump's message and on the most recent terror attack one week ago in front of the Paris opera house: that short-term economic gains have no effect if you are dead.
Although I do agree that there was way too much glad handing from Macron to Trump during the Washington visit, I refuse to believe that behind closed doors Macron has anything resembling respect for Donald Trump even if he respects the office of POTUS and realizes the necessity of trying to keep communications open.
I’m more inclined to believe Macron approached the visit as a Victorian bride might have approached her wedding night, with her mother’s advice ringing in her ears “Close your eyes and think of England,” - or in this case “France!” (or even Europe) In any case, considering Trump’s behavior since, I’d say the honeymoon is definitely over.
1
To be sure, Macron lost points trying to butter Trump up. Chalk that one up to a combination of EM's inexperience (and his hubris.) But the French president's drop in popularity is due to other factors as well: the French rail strikers have started to sabotage their equipment, just as the air strike lingers on. Both actions increase the stakes in Macron's game of chicken with them. Plus, like Trump, he may now be starting to be seen as having over-promised and under-delivered on the economy.
In sum, the decline in Macron's popularity pre-dated his trying to make-nice with The Donald.
6
Trump is utterly untrustworthy and loves to publicly insult people while feigning praise, Macron fell for it. I am so embarrassed by our President's utter disregard for protocol and his gross disrespect for humanity in general that I can hardly contain myself . “I do not share the fascination for new strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism,” , and I must add the utter rudeness of the Right Wing extremist Republicans. My grandmother, A Reagan republican and party supporter, is turning over in her grave.
Thank god for the French Citizen. Vive la Republique!
1
I understand your point, but as a suggestion, I'm not sure I'd introduce Reagan in a positive light to this audience.
1
Macron's a very smart guy, so he should realize that sucking up to Trump gets you nothing from him. Loyalty runs only one way for Trump.
1
Macron’s courting of Trump, for whatever reason, has erased all respect I ever had for Macron. He’s kind of sickening to me now.
Macron is trying to maintain influence with Trump in an innocuous way. The problem for Macron is that Trump is supremely fickle, loving you one minute and hating you the next. Hopefully Macron is brushing off his critics.
I see it another way: Manny's job is to be the EU's point man on Trump. Someone has to take the bullet for Team Europe and be the Trump Whisperer, and it's Emmanuel Macron. Indeed, he and Angela Merkel probably decided a long time ago that they would good cop/bad cop him. What else can they do but keep him close and pick their battles?
French is a nuanced language -- "nuance" is a French word -- and the French, from whom I'm proudly descended, are a nuanced people.
My bet is that they will come to see the sophisticated game Monsieur Le Président is playing. -- thegamesmenplay.com
1
Unfortunately, I think Macron and the other European leaders may have to give up on trying to persuade and his Mafioso administration to do anything rational. I think it's time for the EU countries to band together to do everything they can to undermine Trump. His policies are damaging both internationally and to the U.S. (I call them "MALA" -- Make America Little Again" ) and many if not most Americans would support the EU countries (and others in that effort.
6
Europe wanted Trump to stick with the Iran deal, so they send their M-team, Macron, Merkel, and May, all in one week. Macron played good cop to Merkel's bad cop. They led with the flatterer, the hugger, the pretty boy, and although it didn't work, the three did what they could in the face of Trump's stubborn ignorance and ideology. The French should cut Macron some slack. It looked to me like he was just playing a role, working his mark.
11
To those in France upset with Macron's tactics, at least he tried.
To someone like trump, table banging only encourages louder on his part.
Now France and the rest of the civilized world can (and should) go on together as one, while the US stands alone in the isolation it brought upon itself. Maybe someday we can ask for forgiveness, claiming it was the result of a lapse of judgement. "A Bad Day".
As said so clearly by others in regards to 45: "You can't fix stupid".
1
I credit Mr. Macron for trying to move Trump to the favored position of the Europeans. But Mr. Macron's criticism of Trump in Congress the very next day guaranteed that he would have little influence on Trump. Trump can't stand criticism. Trump is a high maintenance person who can be easily influenced by praise and ingratiation.
5
It's not Macron's job to support anti-Trump forces in the US. It's his job to support French interests, which is what he is doing when he tries to engage Trump. If this displeases the NYT and its readers, too bad. Next time, don't put into office such a clown.
10
We are sorry that the clown Trump is in office. He wasn't the majority's choice, but he's still president.
1
I believe that Macron and Trump truly seem to have a good personal relationship, and that Macron was hopeful to sway the American President towards a more reasonable interpretation of the Iran deal. Now, that this hopes were dashed, and Macron is embarrassed, it will send a signal to many countries, including North Korea, that going out on a limb is not in their interest.
Contrast Macron's visit to Merkel's visit - quick in and out, no pomp, minimal ceremony - and I think it represents the new way that Europeans will deal with the US.
There is growing frustration on the European side that their old ally is distancing itself and growing awareness that they have to start dancing to their own tune in order to balance the US, Russia, and China relationships. It looks like that after 70 years of close partnership and alignment, the US-European relationship is entering a new stage - one of transactional convenience.
19
If Macron believes that he can "influence" or "moderate" Trump's actions, then he is sorely mistaken.
43
Macron didn't realize the bottomless pit of bad stuff that is Donald Trump. Trump absolutely wreaks of disrespect for France. Trump made a totally unacceptable outrageous stupid statement about if the French allowed citizens unfettered access to guns they could have stopped a heinous terrorist attack. While repeated mass murders in the US were happening because of out of control gun access. Macron has been flirting with right wing Republican nonsense about taxation, regulation and gov't spending. The French abhor Trump and his stupid withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Which Trumps to think he can unilaterally France's ability to deal with Iran.
38
It is much more substantive than back slapping and flicking off dandruff. Piketty (author of Capital in the 20th Century) writes
"It is customary to contrast Trump and Macron: on one hand the vulgar American businessman with his xenophobic tweets and global warming scepticism; and on the other, the well-educated, enlightened European with his concern for dialogue between different cultures and sustainable development. But if we take a closer look at the policies being implemented, one is struck by the similarities.
here is what Macron has proposed in France. The rate of corporation tax will gradually be reduced from 33% to 25%; a lower rate of 30% will be introduced for dividends and interest (as an alternative to the 55% income tax rate applicable to the highest salaries); the wealth tax will be abolished for the largest financial and business wealth holders holders (while the real estate tax has never been as high for the less wealthy).
For the first time since the Ancien Régime it has thus been decided in both countries to set up an explicitly derogatory system of taxation for the benefit the categories of income and wealth held by the most affluent social groups."
http://piketty.blog.lemonde.fr/2017/12/12/trump-macron-same-fight/
The French are getting fed up with his "reforms" on back of the working class, with strikes of at the railroad workers, Air France, occupation of Universities by students, even demonstrations by advocates.
33
The French need to try something different. Their economy is stagnant, and has been for years. Moderate labor and tax reforms are a start. Not everything will succeed but at least someone is trying for a change.
11
Macron let the old man groom him, then blasted him in his address to congress the following day.
But even being in the same room with trump can taint anyone with the "orange stain" that is nearly impossible to wash off.
62
Macron's a kid trying to do a man or woman's job. The bulk of the population sees him as a toady on a par with Traitor Trump's cabinet.
24
Macron is 40, Jared Kushner is 37 and tasked with finding peace in the middle East among other things, Ivanka is 37 and was sent to represent the USA in Korea and South America recently.
1
That's not true at all.
Yes, a typical criticism of Macron used to be his Obama-style-mass-inspirationalist campaign style; needless to say, with Trump in the White House, these statements have become obsolete and disappeared.
Everything Trump touches dies. The man is absolutely toxic!
80