Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Macron says UK and France face problems if leaders unsure over friendship

Macron says UK and France face problems if leaders unsure over friendship

Emmanuel Macron has warned of "serious problems" for France-UK relations after the favourite to be the next British prime minister refused to say if the French president was "friend or foe".

Mr Macron reacted to remarks made by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said the jury was out on the French leader.

Mr Macron insisted the UK remained an ally, despite the occasional error made by its leaders.

And Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Mr Macron was a "good buddy" of the UK.

Senior politicians have accused Ms Truss, who is the frontrunner in the contest to succeed Mr Johnson as prime minister next month, of damaging the UK's relationship with France, a close ally.

Relations between France and the UK - both key members of the Nato military alliance - have been rocky in recent years, particularly after the latter's departure from the European Union.

Ms Truss - the UK's top diplomat - was asked about French relations during a Conservative Party event, where she and her leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, took questions from party members.

She said "the jury was out" on whether Mr Macron was a friend or foe, and she would judge him on "deeds not words", prompting cheers and applause from the audience.

Her comments came at the end of the leadership event - known as a hustings - during a series of quickfire questions posed by the host.

When asked the same question, Mr Sunak said Mr Macron was a "friend".

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Algeria on Friday, Mr Macron was asked his views on Ms Truss's comments about him.

After a long pause, he said "it's never good to lose your bearings too much in life".

He said he would have given a similar response to Mr Sunak's, had he been asked the same question about the next leader of the UK.

"If, between us as French and British people, we aren't able to say if we're friends or foes - the term isn't neutral - we're heading towards serious problems," Mr Macron said.

He said the UK was "a friendly, strong, ally nation, regardless of its leaders, and sometimes in spite of and beyond its leaders, or any potential slip-ups they make when playing to the gallery."

Ms Truss is the favourite to succeed Mr Johnson as prime minister


Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defended Ms Truss's comments, calling them "light-hearted".

While he stressed the importance of the UK's close relationship with France, he suggested Ms Truss had made the comments with "a touch of humour".

But Nathalie Loiseau, a former French minister for European affairs and chairwoman of the European Parliament's EU-UK partnership assembly, did not appear to be amused.

Ms Loiseau tweeted to say Russian President Vladimir Putin was "the only one who can enjoy hearing this sort of comment".

Meanwhile Labour's David Lammy accused Ms Truss of "a woeful lack of judgement", saying she had insulted one of "Britain's closest allies".

One Conservative minister said Ms Truss's comments had "completely undermined our relationship with France", calling her a "faux Thatcher", a reference to the Eurosceptic former Tory prime minister.

In a tweet, former foreign minister Alistair Burt said Ms Truss had made a "serious error" and should have struck a more diplomatic tone.

Former Conservative minister Gavin Barwell also questioned Ms Truss's comment, saying: "You would have thought the foreign secretary was aware we are in a military alliance with France."

Ms Truss's comments have been picked up by French media, who have highlighted recent tensions between Paris and London.

The UK and France have clashed over several issues in recent years, including migrant boat crossings in the Channel, a military pact between Britain, the US and Australia, and Brexit measures involving Northern Ireland.

Mr Macron, who was re-elected for a second term earlier this year, has sometimes publicly criticised the Conservative government's approach.

Last year Mr Macron reacted angrily to Mr Johnson's public call for France to take back migrants who reached the UK.

The French president accused the prime minister of not being "serious" by making the call on Twitter, though they have since been pictured arm-in-arm at a G7 summit in Germany earlier this year.

When asked about Ms Truss's comments, Mr Johnson said he "had very good relations with Emmanuel Macron, saying the French president "est un tres bon buddy de notre pays (is a very good buddy of our country)".


Emmanuel Macron - friend or foe?



Analysis


by BBC political correspondent David Wallace Lockhart

There's no denying the UK can have a complex relationship with France. From boat crossings in the Channel to ferry passport checks, there's been tension recently.

But as a close neighbour and a fellow Nato member, there are few in mainstream politics who would consider France anything but a strong ally. Especially at a time when western unity over the war in Ukraine is so important, and any division could be exploited by the likes of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

While Ms Truss's comments did appear to go down well with the audience of Conservative members, she's still the foreign secretary - the UK's chief diplomat. And therefore what she says on international affairs really matters.

This won't be the end of the matter. Ms Truss will be asked about these comments again over the coming days.

What happens next will be watched carefully, on both sides of the Channel.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×