Keir Starmer Could Become An Even More Important Ally For Emmanuel Macron

The surprise snap election in France could make it even more important for the winner of the UK General Election — currently expected to be Labour’s Keir Starmer — to have a strong relationship with President Emmanuel Macron, according to a former ambassador to Paris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Macron has called snap parliamentary elections to be held in France later this month, following European Parliament elections in which the French far-right National Rally (RN) party won large gains and obtained 31.4 per cent of the vote share, alongside growing support for other far-right parties across the continent.

The French president, who founded the liberal centrist party Renaissance, has made a huge gamble: the first poll since the election announcement shows RN could win up to 265 seats while support for Macron’s party could halve from 250 down to 125.

Under the French political system, if RN does emerge victorious at those elections then Macron would be forced to work with a far-right prime minister. According to former senior diplomat Lord Ricketts, this would be an “uncomfortable and difficult” domestic position for the French President to be in, and would make his relationship with whoever occupies 10 Downing Street even more important.

Ricketts, who was previously British Ambassador to France, said the UK prime minister could be an even important ally on the global stage if Macron is dealt this awkward political hand back home in France, where he would face significant pressure from the right wing.

“The French president has very strong powers in the areas of foreign policy, defence, national security, and so going into what they call a ‘cohabitation’ with a far-right prime minister would certainly be uncomfortable and difficult in domestic policy,” said Ricketts, who was also the UK’s National Security Advisor under former prime minister David Cameron, and Permanent Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during the New Labour years.

“I don’t think it would have all that much effect on France’s foreign policy… As long as we’ve got Macron, there will be a very powerful voice with a lot of constitutional power working for better relations, better defence relations, and working together on foreign policy.”

Ricketts added that he had seen King Charles and Macron together at the D-Day memorial ceremony in Normandy last week: “They get on very well… and that will be very important through a turbulent time in French politics.”

If – as repeated opinion polls suggest is likely – Starmer’s Labour secures a parliamentary majority at 4 July General Election, the UK’s relationship with France would likely be a primary focus for David Lammy in his new role as foreign secretary.

“Clearly, if there was a far-right National Rally government working with Macron, there wouldn’t be much natural sympathy between that government and an arriving Labour Party in the UK,” Ricketts said.

“My advice would be to work first and foremost to nurture, cultivate relations with Macron.”

PoliticsHome understands that Lammy has already been trying to build connections with France’s most influential politicians – particularly those who have close connections with Macron, such as Renaissance parliamentarian Benjamin Haddad. ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc ahc

The post Keir Starmer Could Become An Even More Important Ally For Emmanuel Macron appeared first on The Muslim News.

0
Open chat
1
SHMA
Assalamualaikum & Welcome to Surrey Heath Muslim Association;