French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday criticized some US government economic measures and said such actions could divide the West. The statement was made to US congressmen during the Frenchman’s trip to Washington.
Macron said he was bothered by the subsidies included by the White House in the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” – the name, in practice, was a maneuver to speed up the approval of a US$ 430 billion environmental package, a promise by President Joe Biden since his presidential campaign. According to the Frenchman, the incentives guaranteed by American legislation are super aggressive for companies in the European country.
“I don’t want to become a market for American products because I have exactly the same products as you. I have a middle class that needs to work and people that need to find work. Maybe you will solve your problem, but you will make mine worse,” Macron said. at lunch. “Put yourself in my shoes,” he added, asking to “be respected as a good friend.”
It is uncertain how the US legislation may directly affect the French market. Among other things, Biden wants to boost the electric vehicle sector to promote manufacturing employment, the energy transition and technological competition with China.
In any case, the economic program has already left the European country’s political class very worried. Later, in a speech at the French embassy in Washington, Macron insisted that the US investment and subsidy plan could be a critical point in US relations with Europe.
The phrase, to a certain extent, draws the attention of other European leaders, who, since the invasion of Ukraine, have been rehearsing an unprecedented union to deal with Russia’s actions. For that reason, in the opposite direction, Macron’s statements certainly reached Moscow like music.
The French president also indicated that he does not believe that the White House will go back on the measure, but made it clear that the United States and Europe need to find a better synchrony.
It was up to the US government spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, to mitigate the statements. To journalists, she reiterated Washington’s position that the economic program creates “significant opportunities for European business and for European energy security”.
At the same time, although without specifically mentioning the topic, US Vice President Kamala Harris made a point of highlighting that “France is a vital ally of the United States” before welcoming Macron to NASA headquarters.
On Wednesday night, the French president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, met with couple Joe and Jill Biden at a dinner at the White House. The menu included, according to the AFP news agency, lobster, meat and American cheeses. The event also featured the participation of singer Jon Batiste, great Grammy winner this year.
The pomp has an explanation: the United States hopes that this visit will turn the page of the serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries that began last year, when Paris lost to Washington a billionaire contract for the sale of submarines signed with Australia. At the time, Macron considered the White House’s action a betrayal.
If it depends on the last words of the French president, however, Washington will need to offer much more if it wants to fully restore relations with Paris.
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