Macron blunt about not allowing London any special privileges
French President Emmanuel Macron is an expert at creating excitement about his foreign trips with gifts.
He brought Vesuvius, an eight-year old horse to China as a gift for President Xi Jinping and he had offered to loan the 1,000-year old Bayeux Tapestry to the United Kingdom before he started his first trip to London as president.
The 70-meter long tapestry depicts the invasion and conquest of England by William, the Duke of Normandy and the killing of Harold, the King of England. William became King of England and his descendants include Queen Elizabeth II and millions of other Britons.
At least Vesuvius made it to China. Experts believe that the Bayeux Tapestry might be too fragile to transport so the gift might not materialize.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told Macron that there should be a bridge between Britain and France, in addition to the rail tunnel that already exists.
Brexit provided the backdrop to Macron’s visit. Britain needs France to be as supportive as possible but Macron was blunt about allowing the UK any special privileges. “If you want access to the single market, including financial services, be my guest. But … you need to contribute to the budget and acknowledge European jurisdiction,” he said.
Macron came to UK as the most powerful European leader by virtue of being the only leader among the big three – Germany, Britain and France with a parliamentary majority.
As The Times noted: “He bestrides Europe, despite Germany’s economic dominance, because Angela Merkel, the chancellor, is a weakening force.”
France and Britain dominate Europe militarily. They are the biggest spenders and the most active abroad. Britain agreed to support France in its operations against extremists in the west of Africa with logistical air support.
French officials said it was vital that Britain continued to cooperate with the rest of Europe on military matters regardless of Brexit.
The Entente Cordiale, the 1904 alliance agreed to between Britain and France that ended centuries of rivalry and war, seems very much in place despite the rancor of Brexit.
For international observers, such as China, there is much to suggest that Britain’s future relationship with France and Europe will be more about continuity than change, although no one is clear on how that will be achieved amid the confusion of Brexit.
Many British commentators saw Macron’s offer of the Bayeux Tapestry in terms of Anglo-French conflict but William’s conquest of England led to the creation of Britain and France out of the remains of the Roman Empire.
William’s descendants ruled England and much of France for five hundred years and French became a major part of the modern English language.
Macron’s message with the Bayeux Tapestry could be a reminder that just as Britain and France’s history is entwined, so is their future.
