Emmanuel Macron begins his Latin American tour. The French president is visiting Argentina this weekend of November 16 and 17, before participating in the G20 summit in Brazil. He will conclude his trip with Chile. This series of meetings aims in particular, according to the Élysée, to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors with a continent “ who looks like us “.
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Emmanuel Macron is this weekend in Argentina to meet the ultraliberal president Javier Milei, admirer of Donald Trump, in the hope of “ to hang up ” At ” international consensus » on the eve of the G20 in Brazil. The French head of state was invited to a one-on-one dinner by his Argentine counterpart. Another interview is planned for November 17.
The moment is special. Javier Milei has just returned from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he met with the President-elect of the United States. Two men who share a policy of clear cuts in public spending, which Donald Trump wants to implement when he returns to the White House in January and which the Argentinian, who describes himself as a “ anarcho-capitalist », practice since he came to power eleven months ago. They also both toy with the idea of turning their backs on major multilateral climate agreements and objectives.
Bring Argentina back into the international consensus
In this context,Emmanuel Macron hope “ overcome ” THE ” divergences “, particularly environmental, for ” convince Argentina to continue participating in the international consensus », Explains the Élysée. And so “ attach President Milei to G20 priorities », in which they will participate on November 18 and 19 in Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina has just withdrawn its delegation from the COP29 climate negotiations in Baku, and speculation is rife about its possible exit from the Paris Climate Agreement. A gesture that Donald Trump himself made during his first term.
“ It was President Milei himself who reached out » to France, we plead in Paris. It is also argued that Emmanuel Macron is one of the only foreign leaders received in Buenos Aires since the election of his counterpart, and that he can, with his experience in international circles, have an influence on the one for whom it will be the first G20 summit.
The issue of Mercosur addressed
The French president likes to display his ability to dialogue with controversial, even ostracized, counterparts. Even if it means showing a certain proximity, without denying the differences, even if the results of this approach have so far been mixed. Emmanuel Macron will thus explain to the countries of Mercosurincluding Argentina and Brazil, why he opposes the signing of a free trade agreement between this regional bloc and the European Union.
While the forced reforms to bring Buenos Aires back towards budgetary balance and try to emerge from a deep economic crisis are very controversial, France is rather complimentary, judging that they “ are going in the right direction “. Paris also intends to deepen economic relations, particularly in the field of critical metals, while Eramet has just inaugurated a lithium mine in Argentina.
Paris wants to sell its submarines to Argentina
The visit to Argentina aims, according to the Élysée, to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors. First and foremost the navy, Buenos Aires wishes to acquire three French submarines, but the signing is hampered by financing problems.
Since the tragic disappearance at sea of the submarine San Juanexactly seven years ago and the cancellation of the modernization of the Santa Cruzthe Argentine Navy no longer has any submarines. A worrying situation for a nation with an exclusive economic zone of more than one million km². Argentina therefore wishes to recover submarine capacity as quickly as possible.
Financial pitfall
Two manufacturers are in the running, the German TKMS and the French Naval Group. The French offer of Scorpène diesel-electric submarines best seller of Naval group seems to hold the rope. It is said that a letter of intent for three buildings could be signed. The amount of the contract reaches 1.8 billion euros and it is on these financial considerations that the agreement is slipping.
If France is ready to grant favorable credit conditions, this is not the case with the banks. Political-diplomatic pitfalls also come into play. Naval group has invested in a shipyard in Brazil to produce Scorpènes, but between Argentina and Brazil, relations are of variable geometry. Financing and production: we must therefore resolve a “square problem”, the French president would say.
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