Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Macron to Truss: Let’s be friends

Macron to Truss: Let’s be friends

French president senses ‘will to re-engage’ after new UK leader questioned whether he is a ‘friend or foe.’

Emmanuel Macron praised Liz Truss’ “will to move forward” as the pair met for the first time since the British prime minister said “the jury is out” on whether they’d be friends or adversaries.

The French and British leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday where they discussed energy security and the importance of staying the course in Ukraine.

Yet they did not discuss two hot-button issues that have dominated the Anglo-French relationship in recent years — the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol for trade or migration across the Channel.

In her campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party, Truss sparked anger as she vowed to judge the French president by his “deeds not words,” and warned “the jury is out” on whether he is Britain’s “friend or foe.”

Speaking after their meeting, Macron extended a somewhat pointed olive branch, telling reporters: “I believe in proofs and results. There is a will to re-engage, to move forward, and to show that we are friends and allies in a complex world.”

Truss struck a conciliatory note ahead of the meeting, telling reporters she wanted to work “constructively” with the French president.

The U.K. leader’s spokesman said afterward “that was the tone and tenor of the bilateral meeting,” while it was described by the French side as “relaxed.”

They denied the Northern Ireland protocol — the source of a protracted and ongoing row between Brussels and London — had been left aside because it was too politically difficult, saying: “We want to resolve this with the EU and this is not an issue which can necessarily be resolved by one single EU country.”

However, Truss will not be able to avoid the subject Wednesday when she meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Joe Biden.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said at a press briefing Tuesday the pair will talk about Northern Ireland “in some detail.”

Biden will communicate his “strong view that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected,” he added, and would “encourage the U.K. and the European Union to work out an effective outcome.”

The two are also expected to discuss the U.S. and the U.K.’s economic relationship — although the pair have starkly different economic visions, as illustrated by a Biden tweet Tuesday making clear he is “sick and tired” of “trickle-down economics.”

It came as Truss defended plans to cut business taxes and potentially lift a cap on bankers’ bonuses.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×