Emmanuel Macron addresses the French community at the French Embassy in Washington November 30, 2022. JEAN-CLAUDE COUTAUSSE FOR THE WORLD
Even before he spoke to Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron broke the ice, leaving a chain of broken glass in his wake. Barely arrived in Washington, on Wednesday, November 30, the head of state attempted to strike a balance of power. A way for him to gain respect from his American counterpart for the hot topic of the moment.
At a luncheon with elected congressmen, the French president forgot all diplomatic reticence by pointing to the “Inflation Reduction Act” (IRA), the massive roughly $370 billion (355 billion euro) investment plan aimed at boosting American industry accelerate energy transition. It was a “super aggressive” move, as reported by Agence France-Presse. “The decisions taken are decisions that will fragment the West,” stressed the head of state a few hours later, addressing nationals at the French embassy, while stressing “the need to move forward hand in hand with the United States”. Conditions.
Called “constructive” by Emmanuel Macron’s teams, the statement testifies to French and European anger at American legislation, a political win for President Biden but seen as protectionist on this side of the Atlantic. The IRA punishes European imports and threatens increasing de-industrialization of the old continent. “The danger is that the United States is primarily looking at the United States. And then their rivalry with China and France and Europe becomes an adjustment variable,” Emmanuel Macron said at the embassy.
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A blip in an often strained Franco-American relationship? “The President takes all his words. There are no surprises. You know the way of the head of state. He didn’t come to Washington to celebrate the alliance, but to talk about the real problems,” assured one of Emmanuel Macron’s advisers. The Elysée points to the risk of “distortion” while it is the Europeans, it is estimated in Paris, who are paying the heaviest “economic and psychological” price for the war’s return to the old continent, soon ten months after Russia in Ukraine invaded . For the entourage of the President of the Republic, the United States has no interest in Europe emerging from this conflict bloodless, “impoverished” and “de-industrialized”.
The offensive appeared to have been expected by the Biden administration
That pitch, a few hours before the private dinner between the French President and the American head of state, accompanied by their respective wives Jill and Brigitte, could have sparked a diplomatic incident in Washington.
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