Emmanuel Macron began his visit to French troops in Jordan last evening. A way to distance yourself a little from the political crisis in Paris…
Taking the international heights to turn the page? Emmanuel Macron joined the French soldiers engaged in the fight against the Islamic State on a military base in Jordan this Thursday, for their traditional Christmas meal. Upon his arrival last night, the president addressed sensitive subjects, such as the situation in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. Turning away momentarily from the political crisis caused in France by the immigration law, he notably reiterated Western support for Ukraine, affirming that it is imperative not to let Russia win. “What would tomorrow be like for us Europeans?” he asked, emphasizing the importance of Ukraine’s sovereignty for the future security of Europe.
In the heart of the Middle East, a few dozen kilometers as the crow flies from the Gaza Strip, Emmanuel Macron also spoke of the critical situation in the enclave in the hands of Hamas, where he called for a ceasefire. immediate fire in the face of the humanitarian emergency. He announced France’s support for the creation of a humanitarian platform for Gaza in Jordan, in response to the intensification of the conflict after the Israeli response to the October 7 attacks.
Yemen, Islamic State, Niger…
In the presence of around 350 aviators and commandos, Macron also addressed the recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. He called these attacks an “intolerable threat”, noting that the French frigate Languedoc managed to shoot down three drones that were heading towards it in recent weeks.
The head of state also underlined the crucial role of France in the fight against the Islamic State, the very meaning of the French military presence in Jordan. He finally mentioned the recent disengagement of French troops in Niger, a movement carried out calmly, reflecting the redeployment of French forces in Eastern Europe since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
This visit comes in a particular political context in France around the controversial law on immigration, adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. But Emmanuel Macron’s trip for his traditional Christmas dinner with the troops is undoubtedly a little more than a respite, nevertheless underlining the importance of the Franco-Jordanian relationship, as evidenced by his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan, with whom he discussed the role of France and the European Union in supporting the two-state solution in Israel.