G7 summit: despite the differences, Macron and Johnson play the game of relaxation in Germany

“How are you?

“(How are you), launches Boris Johnson.

"I am fine" (I'm fine), responds Emmanuel Macron, dropping his jacket to sit next to him.

It is with a frank and warm embrace that the French President and the British Prime Minister showed this Sunday their desire to warm the atmosphere, nine months after the crisis of the Australian submarines, without however removing all the ambiguities which subsist among themselves.

Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson, who met for a brief bilateral exchange just before the start of the G7 summit at Elmau Castle in the Bavarian Alps, are both facing complicated political situations in their countries.

The French President having just lost an absolute majority in the National Assembly and Boris Johnson being weakened by a series of scandals, including the Partygate affair, in relation to illegal festive gatherings which took place during the Covid crisis in the 10 Downing Street.

A need to coordinate in the response to Russia

On the French side, the desire to "revitalize" the relationship is there after the period of glaciation which followed the submarine crisis in September.

Camberra had then canceled a mega-contract for submarines with France in favor of a strategic partnership with the United States and Great Britain, which had been experienced as a stab in the back in Paris.

The tone has also risen sharply in recent months between France and Great Britain on the rights granted to fishermen in British waters following Brexit.

And it remains lively between London and the Twenty-Seven on the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland.

“Since there has been the war in Ukraine”, we underline in Paris, pointing out the need to coordinate in the response to Russia.

On Ukraine specifically, dissension continues to shine through as London pleads for accelerated military support for Ukraine and suspects Paris of favoring a negotiated solution to end the war as quickly as possible.

Boris Johnson also warned during the interview against the temptation of a negotiated solution "now", according to Downing Street.

“The prime minister stressed that any attempt to settle the conflict now would only cause lasting instability and give Putin the right to manipulate sovereign countries and international markets in perpetuity,” a UK government spokesman said.

Unlike Emmanuel Macron, Boris Johnson has refused any dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has called a "dictator", since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

Differences of opinion that remain

These comments were "certainly not aimed at (Emmanuel) Macron" in particular, however, the spokesperson for the conservative leader stressed.

London also fears that Western opinions will grow weary as the war takes hold and its effects are felt on the price of petrol at the pump or foodstuffs.

“There will be, realistically, a certain fatigue within the populations and the political classes”, worried Boris Johnson in the British press, calling, like Joe Biden, the West to remain united.

Emmanuel Macron also sparked controversy by repeatedly warning against the temptation to "humiliate" Russia once the war was over, a warning that was aimed above all at London and Washington.

"That's how escalations are done," he reiterated in a France 2 documentary, lamenting a little "music that continues to be there, more Anglo-Saxon, consisting of saying

”.

“A lot of enthusiasm” for the French CPE project

The French presidency for its part refutes any divergence with London and underlines the will to work “collectively to try to support Ukraine as much as possible”.

France also prefers to see the positive signal sent, according to it, by Boris Johnson on the French project for a European Political Community (EPC), which would make it possible to “reengage” the United Kingdom in Europe after Brexit.

Emmanuel Macron felt "a lot of enthusiasm" at Boris Johnson, noted the French presidency.

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According to the Élysée, a first meeting of the CPE at the level of Heads of State and Government would take place in the second half of 2022 under the Czech Presidency of the EU.

“Of course we are ready to discuss it with the president and our EU colleagues if they provide us with more details,” reacted the spokesperson for Boris Johnson.