French President Emmanuel Macron has returned to the heart of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, supporting a peace plan for Ukraine in collaboration with his British counterpart, and seeing his long-standing ambition to strengthen European defense becoming a reality.
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Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after calling for early legislative elections that resulted in a hung parliament, creating an unprecedented crisis. However, known for his ongoing political activity, he shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic conflicts largely to the Prime Minister.
Today, Macron is one of the few leaders who speaks with Trump several times a week, leads Europe's support for Ukraine, and solidifies his position as the supreme leader of the EU's only nuclear power.
A Key Player on the Global Stage
At 47 years old, Macron is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term and managed to maintain a friendly relationship despite disagreements, which both sides describe as a "friendship."
Macron was the first European leader to visit Trump after his re-election, attempting to convince him not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace agreement with Russia.
Macron is also a significant name in European politics and has used shifts in U.S. policies to bolster his long-term vision.
Since his first election in 2017, Macron has pushed for a stronger, more sovereign Europe. That same year, he delivered a comprehensive speech at the Sorbonne University, calling for a joint European defense policy, enhanced military cooperation, and the launch of unified defense initiatives.
Later, he lamented what he called NATO’s "brain death," insisting that the EU must strengthen its role as an independent global strategic power.
On Thursday, EU leaders committed to enhancing military defenses and allocating hundreds of billions of euros for security in response to Trump's warnings that they might face the Russian threat alone.
Nuclear Power
In a bold announcement last week, Macron stated that he would discuss the possibility of extending French nuclear deterrence to include European partners in order to protect the continent.
France's nuclear force is a legacy of the strategy devised by General Charles de Gaulle, World War II hero and French president from 1958 to 1969, who sought to maintain France's independence from the United States and enhance its role as a global power. This was achieved through the development of an independent French nuclear arsenal.
French Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, praised Macron’s efforts, stating they aim to ensure that "in these global upheavals, Europeans are not merely spectators, but key players."
New British and German Partners
Other major players appear to support Macron's approach.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been in office for eight months, sought to strengthen defense cooperation with Europe as part of "resetting" relations with the EU after years of tension over Brexit.
Macron and Starmer are now leading intensive diplomatic efforts to strengthen Ukraine's defenses, working on a peace plan centered around Kyiv. This plan includes the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine to enforce a possible peace agreement.
Meanwhile, the winner of the German election, Friedrich Merz, stated that his top priority would be to "strengthen Europe as soon as possible" and gradually move toward "real independence" from the U.S.
Just three days after his victory last month, Merz, who called for a discussion on "nuclear sharing" with France, traveled to Paris for a working dinner with Macron.
No official statement has been issued after the meeting, but French officials familiar with the matter said the two men’s visions for Europe's future align. They spoke anonymously because the discussions were not meant for public release.
Russia's Criticism
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Macron of "military posturing driven by domestic agendas."
The ministry stated that Macron seeks to divert the French public's attention from "the worsening social and economic problems in France and the EU."
Moscow rejected Macron's offer on nuclear deterrence, calling it "a dangerous escalation," stating that his remarks reflected Paris’s ambitions to become the "nuclear guardian" of all of Europe, despite France’s nuclear arsenal being much smaller than that of the U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made comparisons to Napoleon, saying that some "want to return to the time of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended," referring to the failure of the French emperor’s invasion of Russia in 1812.
Macron responded by calling Putin "imperialist."
Restoring Domestic Presence
After his re-election in 2022, Macron faced challenges last year in avoiding becoming a "lame duck" after his call for early legislative elections led to chaos in the parliament, delaying the approval of the state budget and forcing him to quickly replace the Prime Minister.
However, the French constitution grants the president significant powers in foreign policy, European affairs, and defense. Macron has a presidential mandate until 2027 and has stated that he will not step down before the end of his term.
Macron's activity on the global stage has drawn criticism from opposition leaders.
Sébastien Chenu, vice president of the far-right National Rally party, described Macron’s "capricious" character as "one of the biggest problems facing French diplomacy," saying, "He has offended many people, and he changes his mind too often."
Matilde Bano, leader of the far-left "France Unbowed" party in the National Assembly, expressed her concerns.
She said, "The situation is very serious, and the President is too weak to make decisions on his own," adding, "We don’t just want to be consulted... the parliament should have a say in such serious matters." (Agencies)
