Invited by the French president Emmanuel Macron, President Trump has landed in Paris on Thursday, aiming to reduce the tension with the new star of the European Union. Macron wants to charm and impress his guest, who will attend the July 14th military parade on the occasion of the national holiday of France as Macron did in May when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Versailles.
Donald Trump and Paris
Trump has planted the path of thorns for France in recent months. In one of his feverish rallies in February, Donald Trump put the French capital as an example of European failure in the fight against terrorism. "Paris is no longer Paris; I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," Trump said in a statement that stunned French leaders. Later, announcing in June the abandonment of the act against climate change, Donald Trump thrashed the city of light once again.
With this baggage, the comeback of Trump in France seems difficult. It is not only that Trump is pursuing his own words or the rejection of French public opinion, but his opposite side has a leader of 39 years who has solidified his worldwide square.
Trump vs. Macron
When looking at both Presidents, we can see that Macron is cultured, progressive for US standards and defends international pacts. On the other hand, President Trump is an isolationist blow who loves money and detests European ways. Together, they are opposite angles to each other. However, they both know that they are sentenced to treat each other, and beyond the handshakes and the gestural tension, there is a common agenda.
Trump and Macron: 24 hours to set the course
Syria, NATO, the fight against terrorism and even the aftermath of the G-20 are among the leading issues. To facilitate this understanding, the French has designed an agenda rich in historical symbols. On Thursday, a short and intense tour that will include the visit to the tomb of Marshal Foch, supreme commander of the Allied command in World War I, the National War Museum and the tomb of Napoleon at the Palace of the Invalides.
Then politics will come and the format chosen was a bilateral meeting at the Elysee (home of the French Presidency) which will conclude with a joint press conference. The opportunity to recover the lost ground for Trump is there. The White House has tried by all means to reduce the tension by highlighting the chemistry between both leaders and their relationship as excellent.