When Emmanuel Macron rushed to hug the new UK prime minister at their first meeting in Egypt this week, some called it a “bromance”.
Even though the French president’s hands-on embrace of world leaders is almost always called a “bromance” – from Justin Trudeau to Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump (a relationship which eventually soured), Macron and Rishi Sunak’s grinning and back-slapping stood out as symbolic.
There is a clear wish in Paris to thaw and reset the frosty Franco-British relationship, which had plummeted to its worst state in decades under Boris Johnson, with bitter disputes over submarine contracts, fishing rights and rows over who was to blame for the catastrophic deaths of people trying to reach the UK coast on small boats.
A French official described the potential for an upturn in relations: “We’ve clearly had our differences, we’ve each of us sometimes been held hostage to internal politics in both countries, but at the end of the day France’s strategic interests are very much aligned with the UK ... The British are partners who aren’t always easy but who are absolutely vital. The quality of the exchanges in recent weeks has been positive.” » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
