World News: French President Emmanuel Macron’s White Knight Moment

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Thursday, 10 February 2022 08:23

Written by Olivier Longhi

If the Ukrainian crisis still seems far from a resolution capable of satisfying all the actors involved, it is offered as an almost welcome promontory to Emmanuel Macron who can see many advantages both internally and externally. Explanations.

By deciding to meet Vladimir Putin in order to try to defuse the Ukrainian crisis, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron has tried, consciously or unconsciously, to achieve four objectives that combine domestic and foreign policy.

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The gamble, risky, at least for the foreign policy aspect, can only be considered won in a few months, if the Russian head of state begins to withdraw his troops stationed at the Ukrainian border. However, the first objective that the French president has probably tried to achieve is to establish himself, in France and abroad, as an influential head of state, concerned about the balance of power in Europe and guarantor of its security.

In a posture Mitterrando-Gaullian, Emmanuel Macron has therefore tried to give meaning to his international action by presenting himself as a major diplomatic relay, almost unique, which in times of presidential electoral campaign is always opportune.

Germany and the European Union

And to touch here the second objective, namely that of imposing itself within the European Union as the leader of countries anguished by the war gestures of Russia. By taking into account continental concerns, thus beating Germany, a powerful partner, often privileged by the United States in the resolution of diplomatic crises in Europe, Emmanuel Macron has in fact granted himself the role long devolved to Angela Merkel, the former German Chancellor.

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The French President now has the free hand to assume the informal role of first European Head of State both in the process of Future European construction and in the resolution of the current crisis. The third objective, and not the least, is to give the European Union its place in resolving the potential conflict through its action.

Long denigrated for its immobility, its weakness and its global inability to face localization or international crises without the help of the United States, political Europe finds here, and the French President with it, the opportunity to establish itself as the first actor of the continent's security, and rightly so insofar as the current crisis is playing out on the European continent.

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Partner and Crystallization

Last element, the possibility for Emmanuel Macron, under the guise of action guided by the security of the continent, to precede, or even replace, the United States, as a negotiating partner. Russia, which had given the impression of wanting to deal only with Washington, found in Emmanuel Macron a diplomat it did not expect, just like the United States.

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By the same token, the French president, who has not forgotten the contort of the Australian submarines rounded up by the United States via the Aukus Treaty combining the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States for the control of the Asia-Pacific (yet so far from the Donbass), thus seeks by the Ukrainian crisis to also assert the voi x of France by presenting the latter as a key player in international relations.

Far from being resolved in the coming days, the Ukrainian crisis nevertheless seems to reshuffle the cards of world geopolitics by crystallizing Russia as a source of questions with regard to its future intentions, by giving the European Union a potential embryonic diplomatic existence and by sending back the United States as an actor of circumstance because included in the NATO treaty through which these the latter can still claim some influence over Russia.

Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.