Thick skin is a prerequisite of political life, and Emmanuel Macron should have no problem getting over the visible irritation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was caught on camera rolling her eyes at one of his remarks during G7 talks.
Just hours later, Donald Trump declared on Truth Social that the French premier “always gets it wrong.” Et alors?
But these are the latest black-eyes in a succession of blunders that must be making even a battle-hardened Macron a bit uncomfortable. Awkward rebukes are one thing, U-turns are quite another. And when it comes to Middle East foreign policy, it feels like Macron hasn't put a foot right in months.
During an interview on the plane back from a trip to Egypt in early April, Macron launched a diplomatic initiative that was meant to advance the situation in the Middle East. Had things gone to plan, France would have recognised the State of Palestine today – a move it hoped would encourage others in the international community to follow suit.
But the wheels fell off that wagon as Saudi officials were unwilling to recognise Israel reciprocally. This already cast a shadow over the conference, due to be held in New York. Israel's bombing campaign in Iran saw the conference scrapped entirely.
Though out of his hands, the episode cost the president at home, where public opinion was largely in favour of imposing sanctions on Israel for its offensive in Gaza. And left-wing parties only rubbed salt in the wound, insisting that recognising Palestine was “a moral imperative, a political necessity, and a strategic requirement.”
Relations between Paris and Tel Aviv plummeted even further at the opening of the Paris Air Show on Monday. The stands of several Israeli exhibitors were boarded off from public view, even as France continues exporting military equipment to Tel Aviv.
Often championed as a master of "en même temps", Macron's mixed messaging vis-à-vis the Middle East only highlights his struggle to play to two crowds at once. He quickly acknowledges Tel Aviv's “right to defend itself” but opposes military intervention in Iran and efforts to force a regime change.
These diplomatic contortions have stunned diplomats in France's Foreign Ministry, a well-informed source told Euractiv. But, the source added, they are used to it.
