France and Britain will ‘save Europe,' Macron says as he starts U.K. state visit
Article content
On a state visit that mixed royal pageantry with tough political talks on Ukraine and migration, Macron said Europe must strengthen its economy and defences and reduce its dependence 'on both the U.S. and China.'
Article content
Article content
Article content
Macron's three-day trip, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the U.K. by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the U.K. government's desire to reset relations with the bloc after Britain acrimoniously left the EU in 2020.
Article content
Article content
'The United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference,' Macron said, adding that 'we will save Europe by our example and our solidarity.'
Article content
He said that even though Britain has left the EU, 'the United Kingdom cannot stay on the sidelines. Because defence and security, competitiveness, democracy — the very core of our identity — are connected across Europe as a continent.'
Article content
Article content
Article content
The French president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were treated to the full force of British ceremonial charm, a far cry from the chilly relations of 2022, when then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that the 'jury is out' on whether Macron was a friend or a foe.
Article content
Article content
The Macrons were greeted at London's RAF Northolt air base by Prince William and his wife Catherine — wearing a dress by French design house Christian Dior — before being met by King Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor, west of London. They were driven to the almost 1,000-year-old royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolor flags.
Article content
The king and queen hosted a banquet for the Macrons at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, with 160 guests including politicians, diplomats and celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Elton John. They were served summer vegetables, chicken with asparagus and iced blackcurrant parfait, along with Champagne and a gin-infused cocktail called L'entente, after the 'entente cordiale' struck between Britain and France in 1904.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
France says the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia will have more freedoms
PARIS (AP) — France announced a sweeping, hard-fought agreement Saturday aimed at granting more autonomy to the restive South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, but stopping short of the independence sought by many Indigenous Kanaks. The agreement — hailed by President Emmanuel Macron as ″historic' — still needs final approval in New Caledonia, a nickel-rich archipelago east of Australia and 10 time zones away from Paris. The accord may face a vote by New Caledonians in February. The accord proposes the creation of a ″state of Caledonia″ within the French republic and inscribed in the French constitution, and the creation of a ''Caledonian nationality″ alongside French nationality, according to excerpts viewed by The Associated Press. It was reached after 10 days of negotiations — including a final overnight marathon — with representatives of the central government and those on both sides of the independence question. The talks stemmed from deadly rioting last year prompted by proposed changes to electoral rules that pro-independence groups said would marginalize Indigenous voters. The accord will help 'us get out of the spiral of violence,' said Emmanuel Tjibaou, a Kanak lawmaker who took part in the talks, as he and other sleepless negotiators announced the accord in a gilded hall Saturday evening in the Elysee presidential palace in Paris. He described a ''difficult path' ahead but one that would allow Kanaks and other Caledonians to move forward together as ''us' instead of divided. Those seeking to keep New Caledonia firmly in the French fold hailed the accord. Lawmaker Nicolas Metzdorf called it a compromise born of ''demanding dialogue,' and described the Caledonian nationality as a ″real concession.' A special congress will be held to finalize next steps, which could include more sovereignty for New Caledonia over issues of international affairs, security and justice, according to excerpts published by New Caledonia's public broadcaster. The accord could also eventually allow New Caledonians to change the territory's name, flag and hymn. Participants stressed the importance of rehabilitating and diversifying New Caledonia's indebted economy, which depends heavily on nickel mining, and making it less reliant on the French mainland. France colonized the Pacific archipelago in the 1850s, and it became an overseas territory after World War II, with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
More than 40 arrested at London protest in support of banned group Palestine Action
LONDON (AP) — More than 40 people were arrested Saturday at a protest in central London against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organization by the government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. The Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. It was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant support for the organization is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered underneath both the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first postapartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square. Signs with the wording 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' were held aloft in silence as the protesters were surrounded by police officers and members of the media. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the ground as police searched their bags and took away signs. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. Other demonstrations were also planned across the U.K. on Saturday, including in Manchester, Cardiff and Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The official designation earlier this month of Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act 2000 means that membership in the group and support for its actions are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Some 81 organizations are already proscribed under the U.K. act, including the militant groups Hamas and al-Qaida. The government moved to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on June 20, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Police said that the incident caused around 7 million pounds' ($9.4 million) worth of damage. Four people between 22 and 35 years old were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the U.K. The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court.
CBC
5 hours ago
- CBC
Trump says 30% tariffs against EU, Mexico to proceed starting Aug. 1
Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he's levying tariffs of 30 per cent against the European Union and Mexico starting on Aug. 1, after weeks of negotiations with the key trading allies failed to reach a more comprehensive trade deal. The fresh tariffs were announced in separate letters posted on Truth Social on Saturday. Earlier this week, Trump issued new tariff announcements for a number of countries, including Canada, Japan, South Korea and Brazil, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The EU had hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the U.S. for the 27-bloc. In his letter to Mexico's leader, Trump acknowledged the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said Mexico has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a "Narco-Trafficking Playground." In his letter to the European Union, Trump said the U.S. trade deficit was a national security threat. "We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers," Trump wrote in the letter to the EU. "Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal." Cross Country Checkup is asking: What grade are you giving Prime Minister Mark Carney so far? Leave your comment here and we may read it or call you back for our show on Sunday. Trump is in the midst of an announcement blitz of new tariffs with allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is effectively blowing up the rules governing world trade. WATCH | Trump calls CUSMA a 'good deal' Carney meeting in May: Trump calls CUSMA 'a good deal for everybody' 2 months ago Duration 1:22 In an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump accused the previous Trudeau government of 'trying to take advantage' of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, saying although the deal is 'good for all countries,' it will be up for renegotiation soon. Carney said the deal is a basis for a broader negotiation and some things about it will have to change. For decades, the United States and most other countries abided by tariff rates set through a series of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay round. Countries could set their own tariffs, but under the "most favoured nation'' approach, they couldn't charge one country more than they charged another. With Saturday's letters, Trump has now issued tariff conditions on 24 countries and the EU. Earlier this week, a Trump administration official told CBC News that the 35 per cent tariff threat on imports from Canada won't apply to goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The president posted about the 35 per cent levies on Truth Social. They're expected to apply to goods currently hit with tariffs of 25 per cent, the official said. U.S. tariffs on potash and energy are expected to remain at 10 per cent. However, no final decisions have been made by Trump. The EU's chief trade negotiator said earlier this week that a trade deal to avert higher tariffs on European goods imported to the U.S. could be reached "even in the coming days." Maroš Šefčovič told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday that the EU had been spared the increased tariffs contained in the letters Trump sent on Monday and an extension of talks would provide "additional space to reach a satisfactory conclusion." The bloc collectively sells more to the U.S. than any other country. U.S. goods imports from the EU topped $553 billion US in 2022, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Insight into Trump's letters On April 2, Trump proposed a 20 per cent tariff for EU goods and then threatened to raise that to 50 per cent after negotiations didn't move as fast as he would have liked. Šefčovič did not mention any tariff figures. The higher tariffs as well as any EU retaliation had been suspended as the two sides negotiate. However, the base rate of 10 per cent for most trade partners, as well as higher rates of 25 per cent on autos and 50 per cent on steel and aluminum, had gone into effect. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former congressional budget office director and president of the centre-right American Action Forum, said Trump's letters were evidence that serious trade talks were not taking place over the past three months. He stressed that nations were instead talking amongst themselves about how to minimize their own exposure to the U.S. economy and Trump. "They're spending time talking to each other about what the future is going to look like, and we're left out," Holtz-Eakin said.
