“Being an ally does not mean being a vassal”hammers the first. “The relationship with the United States is essential”nuances the second, before calling the Europeans “to speak with one voice”.
This Wednesday, April 12 in Amsterdam, Emmanuel Macron and the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, are forced, each in their own way, to face the shock wave caused by the French president’s comments on Taiwan. The refusal of “follow-up” with regard to Washington in the face of China expressed three days earlier by Emmanuel Macron on behalf of “strategic autonomy” that he calls for for the continent has largely overshadowed his state visit to the Netherlands. And caused a great cacophony within the European Union (EU) on the major geopolitical issues of the moment.
In a few controversial formulas on China, the United States and Taiwan in his interview with Echos and to Politico, Emmanuel Macron seems to have shattered the fragile unity that had prevailed between the Twenty-Seven since the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In fact, President Macron’s charge brings to light European differences on three essential and highly interdependent issues: ties with the United States, whose commitment in Ukraine is crucial, relations with China, a benevolent ally of the Russia, and “strategic autonomy” of the EU between the two great powers, which the French president now risks having difficulty defending, despite claiming to have won “the ideological battle” in this domain.
“It will be complicated to go up the slope, whereas, on paper, our ideas were essential as awareness of the dependencies and vulnerabilities of the continent became”, judges a member of the French government. Very rare indeed are the voices that have given their support to the Head of State, with the exception of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
“This episode will leave its mark”
In the storm, Emmanuel Macron “assume his words”, according to those around him, and once again warns against any form of« escalade » likely to lead to a confrontation. Nevertheless, to give guarantees to his partners, he specifies, alongside Mark Rutte, that the policy of France ” did not change “. “France is for the status quo in Taiwan”he said, “it supports the one-China policy and the search for a peaceful settlement of the situation”. A doctrine that French diplomats have constantly repeated to their American and European interlocutors in recent days.
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