I’m just a French President, standing in front of a North Atlantic archipelago, asking it to love me. Macron was in parliament, hand on the national knee, bedroom eyes staring into the camera, wooing the British political establishment in the first state visit of a European leader post-Brexit. He wants to “go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder”.
How had we forgotten? In all the lonely years chasing after emotionally and economically unavailable superpowers, the loveless and humiliating trade deals, the inevitable transatlantic betrayals, France had been there, standing outside our window, gently strumming a baroque guitar.
All together, this bold, amorous assault was a bit of a shock. Britain isn’t used to being seen as desirable, or courted and pursued by international partners. As post-colonial masochists, we’re obsessed with getting affirmation from countries like America and China that will never reciprocate our desperate fumbling advances.
There’s no shame, it turns out, in being a middle ranking power that retains international reach and influence. Britain can no longer subdue entire civilisations with the power of its industry and navies, but intelligently and surgically applied, our strength is still sufficient to tip global scales.
France, having endured defeat, occupation and constitutional revolution, has learnt these lessons very well. From defence to manufacturing to energy, realistic and long term thinking have put France in a stronger position to endure increasingly hostile geopolitical headwinds. Nuclear energy has rendered it largely self sufficient in energy, more realistic procurement has given it a far more usable and adaptive military, and a more active industrial policy has left France with more modern infrastructure and more industrial capacity. Simply put, they are better at building things, powering things and defending their interests. All of this is not because of any innate superiority — indeed France has numerous failings and weaknesses of its own — but for one simple reason: France never lost sight of its national interest.
Macron understands the strategic trap of being caught between American and Chinese imperialism
The gap between Britain and France — that English Channel which Macron wished to grow no wider — is ultimately teleological. France knows where it’s going and it knows who’s going with it. As I’ve written before, for mid-sized powers like France and Britain, our strongest alliances and greatest force multipliers will be those that involve countries of equal or lesser power. This approach would represent a return to the historic genius of the English alliance system in Europe, which prevented the rise of a despotic superpower in Europe for five hundred years, even as it built wealth and power at home.
The gap of identity and ambition between Britain and France was frankly shaming, as was the earnestness and seriousness of Macron’s appeal compared to the lacklustre diplomacy of British leaders in the past decade.
Macron understands, as no British Prime Minister seems to, the strategic trap of being caught between American and Chinese imperialism. He grasps the significance of economic, military and online security. Just as strikingly, from citing the connections between Locke and Montesquieu, to enthusing about the Bayeux Tapestry, Macron showed a keen appreciation of the strategic importance of culture and history. Whatever you think of Macron overall, it is immediately and sharply undeniable that he is an intellectual cut above every figure in frontline British politics.
Speaking of those who don’t get on with Macron, Nigel Farage was notably absent following the French President’s refusal to meet him. It’s a pity he wasn’t there, because unlike the generally idea-free zone that is Reform, Macron had many constructive thoughts about controlling migration and regaining national sovereignty. An especially damning point was his emphasis on European cooperation as a path to bringing an end to illegal crossings in the channel. Farage would be wise to pay attention — if Reform ever does enter government, they may need French and EU assistance to make secure borders a reality.
As Britain struggles to acquire economic and military security, races to expand nuclear energy, and looks to survive in a turbulent world, we could do a lot worse than a marriage of both affection and convenience with our closest continental neighbour. But it will mean closing that gap of imagination and identity, and rediscovering our sense of history and purpose.
