Emmanuel Macron held a press conference this Sunday evening following his meetings with the leaders of the G20 countries.
He notably answered journalists' questions about tensions with the British neighbor, while the French president met Boris Johnson earlier in the afternoon on Sunday.
For the first time since the G7 in June, the two leaders met face to face for almost half an hour.
The Elysee and Downing Street had given two rather different versions of the discussion between MM.
Macron and Johnson.
Read also Post-Brexit fishing: Macron advocates "de-escalation", Johnson remains firm
Two subjects poison relations between the two States, and more generally between the United Kingdom and the European Union, since the effective departure of the United Kingdom: the Northern Irish protocol and fishing in British waters. "
It's not bilateral, it's not personal,
" hammered Emmanuel Macron, recalling that this is about commitments made by the British with the European Union and not just France. With regard to fishing, an agreement was concluded at the last
minute at the
end of 2020 between London and Brussels, providing that European fishermen can continue to work in certain British waters provided they can prove that they were fishing there before. But the French and the British argue over nature andextent of the supporting documents to be provided.
"
We are talking about the lives of women and men who depend on their work, who need to spend nights and days at sea to live,
" continued Emmanuel Macron, insisting on the importance for France of ensuring respect for British their commitments.
Which, for the time being, is far from being the case.
The French government therefore maintains its ultimatum for November 2, the president confirmed to reporters, specifying: "
my wish is not to take retaliatory measures
".
A protocol for "de-escalation"
Emmanuel Macron sent the British Prime Minister's teams “
a working document
” proposing “
a protocol
” to allow “
de-escalation
”, while recalling that if no action is taken, France will take the announced retaliatory measures. "
The ball is in the court of the British
" concluded the head of state, who described as "
frank, appeased, demanding
" his conversation with Boris Johnson. Finally, specifying: "
The European Commission is on our side
".
Emmanuel Macron claims to have also raised once again with Boris Johnson the subject of the AUKUS (tripartite alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, having notably led to the abandonment by the Australians of an order passed with France for submarines): "
this is not a good way for France
" repeated the French president to his British counterpart, believing that on this issue, his neighbor from across the Channel did proof of “
behavior that was not quite that of an ally
”.
Read alsoHave the British kept their commitments on fishing rights?
Finally, Emmanuel Macron reiterated that on the subject of migrants in the Channel, the “
practices and choices
” of the United Kingdom, in particular of “
releasing
migrants
into the open sea
”, are not acceptable by France.
While on these files, no concrete progress seems to have been made, the Head of State nevertheless recalled that "
France has a great history with the United Kingdom
", adding: "
it is a country that I know well and that I like
”.
