As Israel and Iran are plunged into an armed confrontation, French President Emmanuel Macron is demonstrating panic and amateurism that is further weakening France’s position on the international stage. Disavowed by Trump and ignored by his partners, he fails to convince at a crucial moment when crises are unfolding and when leaders need to make decisions for the common good.
The G7 summit, taking place in Canada over the next few days, has been the scene of heated exchanges between the French head of state and the American president over the new conflict between Israel and Iran.
On the evening of Monday, June 16th, President Trump announced that he would be leaving the meeting early and returning to Washington “to deal with many important matters,” according to the official statement released by the White House. In a press briefing, Macron claimed that Trump’s early departure was motivated by his desire to work towards a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, and that an offer “for a meeting and discussions” had even been made.
These reckless remarks were swiftly denied. Donald Trump insisted that his early departure from the G7 had “nothing to do with a ceasefire” between Israel and Iran, and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “not understanding” his intentions.
“Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a “cease fire” between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that!” Trump railed on his Truth Social network.
The U.S. president’s verdict of his French counterpart was damning: “Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong,” Trump added.
This certainly did not please the French president, who has been working hard for years to convince people that he, too, against all odds, had a “special relationship” with the U.S. president.
His speculations about a possible ceasefire were based on Trump’s vague statements that an “agreement” would be reached on the conflict between Iran and Israel—without specifying whether this would be achieved through the deployment of military force or through diplomatic channels. President Macron has therefore once again shown arrogance by overreaching on such sensitive issues, driven by a compulsive need to exist on the world stage and to prove—to whom?—that he is one of the leaders who matter and who are among the insiders capable of influencing the course of international events.
While the United States has not yet clearly defined its future strategy in the Israeli-Iranian conflict, it remains true that Trump has seen through Macron’s little game, which is, in his own words, primarily about “seeking publicity” and not about the common good.
Macron’s activism on the Iranian issue is once again the flip side of his impotence on the domestic front. Foreign policy, traditionally the preserve of the French president, has become his last refuge. The problem is that his voice carries little weight, and his positions are dividing leaders. Macron’s statements on the need to recognise a Palestinian state have angered Israel and undermined the policy of balance that France has strived to maintain in the Middle East for decades.
As JD Vance recently put it, Western leaders keep talking about “defending democracy,” but never say what they’re actually defending. Macron is the perfect example—all theatre, no substance. In a real crisis, he grabs headlines, misreads allies, and weakens the West’s credibility.
In France, many voices accuse the president of “ridiculing” the country with his incoherent foreign policy. “Verbal agitator,” “pretentious buffoon,” “lamentable,” “funny” are just some of the adjectives being used to describe the sad decline of a leader who is steadily dragging his country, once a diplomatic powerhouse, into irrelevance.
