In 2018, Emmanuel Macron had to, with a heavy heart, decline the invitation. Since then, the idea has been floating around in his head. The French president therefore took the time to conclude his American tour on Friday, December 2, with a detour to New Orleans, two hours by plane from Washington. The day after the State dinner organized in his honor at the White House by his ” friend “ Joe Biden, the head of state was able to savor the hospitality of the Cajuns.
In shirtsleeves, sketching a dance step to the gospel tune of When the Saints Go Marching Inplayed by a street orchestra from the French Quarter, alongside the mayor, LaToya Cantrell, Emmanuel Macron has left the Parisian tumult and the affairs that pollute his mandate far from him. “How are things in France? »asks an expatriate in French. ” Great “replies the president straight away.
Admittedly, the reception is far from that which was reserved for General de Gaulle who, in 1960, had mobilized some 300,000 people in the former possession. But the cheers, the selfies, the ” We love you “ launched from the wrought iron balconies were enough to erase the friction that marked Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Washington and the exhaustion linked to a state visit carried out at a run. “People came to say thank you for being there”points out David Cheramie, a resident of the neighboring town, Lafayette, who has dedicated his career to promoting French, the language his parents spoke at home.
In Washington, the head of state has not obtained all the progress he imagined. But on the banks of the Mississippi, he said he was satisfied with his trip. “The balance sheet is beyond what we could legitimately expect”he assured, denying any “friction or tension that would have justified any anger whatsoever” with his American counterpart. “There was a speech of truth”he corrected.
“Put France and Europe at the heart of the American agenda”
In the midst of French-speaking Louisiana, the head of state has posed as a defender of the interests of France and Europe. So yes he has “set foot in the dish”as he concedes to evoke the subject of concern of the moment, that of the “Inflation Reduction Act”, this massive investment plan which promises subsidies and tax exemptions to the made in america to accelerate the energy transition. A plan seen as a protectionist threat capable of weakening Europe by accelerating relocations and the deindustrialization of the Old Continent.
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