“The United Kingdom is a friendly, strong and allied nation, whatever its leaders”French President Emmanuel Macron said from Algiers on Friday (August 26th) after British foreign secretary and favorite candidate for the post of prime minister, Liz Truss, refused to say whether the French president was ” Friend or enemy “ from his country.
Questioned Thursday evening during an electoral meeting of the conservative party in Norwich (south-east of the United Kingdom), the one who seeks the succession of Boris Johnson had refused to comment on the qualities of the French president, affirming that she would judge him “on his deeds”. When the journalist hosting the evening asked him: “Macron, friend or foe? »Liz Truss replied that “The jury is still deliberating”causing laughter in the room. “If I become Prime Minister, I will judge him by his actions and not his words”, she added.
Conservative and ambitious, the one who is still head of diplomacy for her country, in a government managing current affairs, is campaigning to take over from the current British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who has been particularly discreet since his ousting. of the leader of the Conservative Party in July.
“Remarks from the podium”
From Algiers, where he is completing a reconciliation visit with his counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune after months of diplomatic estrangement, the French president therefore took the time to respond to him, saying that “the nation which is the United Kingdom is a friendly, strong and allied nation”.
An alliance that endures “despite and beyond its leaders or the little mistakes they may make in speaking from the stage”he added on the sidelines of his official visit to Algeria. “If we are not able, between French and British, to say if we are friend or enemy – the term is not neutral -, we are heading for serious problems”, he insisted.
“It’s never good to lose your bearings too much in life. If I was asked the question (…)regardless of who is considered [pour] future leadership in Britain, I do not wonder for a second. The United Kingdom is a friend of France”he concluded.
“A very good buddy of our country”
Asked Friday about this start of the controversy, Mr. Johnson assured “Having always had very good relations with Emmanuel Macron”. The French president, he added in French, “is a very good buddy [copain] of our country “.
Relations with France “are extremely important. They have been very good for a very long time, since the time of Napoleon in fact, and I think that is to be congratulated.added the Prime Minister, leaving a field visit to Surrey (south-west London). “And as far as Emmanuel is concerned, I had a very good relationship with him, and I can tell you one thing: he is a very big admirer of our country”he concluded.
Many litigation files exist between France and the United Kingdom, in particular the management of post-Brexit files, whether fisheries or Northern Ireland. The two countries, allies in NATO, have also had different approaches to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Boris Johnson taking a very hard line against Vladimir Putin while the French president has defended the need to keep open dialogue with the master of the Kremlin.
