Emmanuel Macron, for better or worse, has become Europe’s loudest voice on international affairs.
Not everyone is happy, but there is no doubt that the French president has occupied a space left vacant by the departure of Angela Merkel and has inserted himself into the center of critical debates, from how to contain Russia to speaking truth to power to Israel.
He suggested French boots on the ground in Ukraine in an apparent bid to leave Russia guessing about Europe’s operational strategy in the region. In a frank conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said the forced transfer of people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would constitute “a war crime.”
One may accuse Macron of posturing, and critics will point out that when it comes to money for Ukraine, for example, France has been much less forthcoming.
As Ania Nussbaum and Natalia Drozdiak write, Macron’s role has created bewilderment in the European Union over who actually speaks for the continent, even as he has taken on an increasingly influential role in policy debates in Brussels.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Europe is at a crossroad, with Russian troops advancing in eastern Ukraine and an upcoming American election.
Call it a stunt, but Macron’s black-and-white photo of him re-enacting Robert de Niro as a world champion boxer in Raging Bull made a splash and sent an unsubtle message to Putin, who’s fond of striking his own macho poses, in a language the Russian president can understand.
The jury is out if Macron’s provocations are the push Europe needs to meet the demands of a more hostile modern world, or if he’s accelerating schisms in a transatlantic alliance that has held together for 75 years.
Or if Macron, who famously compared himself to Jupiter, is just letting his ego get in the way.—Richard Bravo