France’s Macron decries nationalism in speech to US Congress

French president Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the United States to reject nationalism and stay true to global ideals of cooperation in the face of terrorism and other challenges, saying countries can still retain their own identities.

‘I do not share the fascination for new strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism,’ Macron told a joint meeting of Congress.

‘We can choose isolationism, withdrawal and nationalism—this is an option. It can be tempting to us as a temporary remedy for our fears. But closing the door to the world, will not stop the evolution of the world,’ he added.

Capping a three-day visit, Macron repeatedly criticized the president’s isolationist principles in a speech to a joint meeting of Congress, an honor given to a small number of visiting foreign leaders.

Macron said US involvement in the global community was vital and Trump’s opposition to the Paris climate accord and international trade agreements was short-sighted.

The French president even took a dig at Trump’s famous 2016 campaign slogan, calling for the United States to help ‘make our planet great again.’

Macron has developed a strong relationship with Trump at a time when many European leaders are keeping a distance. During the visit, they repeatedly shook and grabbed hands, exchanged kisses on the cheek, and slapped each other’s backs while praising their friendship.

But before Congress, Macron suggested he wanted more than just good optics.

Without mentioning Trump by name, he challenged the Republican president’s protectionist and nationalist impulses and said modern economic and security challenges must be a shared global responsibility that is ‘based on a new breed of multilateralism.’

‘The United States is the one who invented this multilateralism. You are the one now who has to help preserve and reinvent it,’ Macron said.

Source: Reuters