Macron’s business between the Middle East and the Gulf countries
Sun King. They have repeatedly nicknamed him that, Emmanuel Macron. And the French president is increasingly moving as a monarch or emperor, especially in matters of foreign policy. It will be the (temporary?) Retirement of Angela Merkel, it will be that the French presidency of the European Union begins on January 1st, it will be that the presidential elections of next spring are approaching, it will be that we need to forget the debacle collected with the pact defensive Aukus between the US, UK and Australia.
The fact is that Macron is increasingly bold on a diplomatic level. Also to recover the money lost from the mega order of submarines unilaterally torn up by Canberra which will be supported in the development of nuclear-powered ones by Washington. A pinch of revenge and above all a great need to raise cash, for an Elisha who has always operated as a geopolitical center with an imperial mentality. Colonial, some would say. The only European actor to still be characterized by this geopolitical extroversion.
Billionaire business with arms sales for Macron in the Gulf
Hence the daring business trips by the French president are not surprising. First Egypt, then the Gulf monarchies between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trips in which Macron has concluded important agreements that will bring good money into the coffers of Paris in exchange for armaments and other benefits granted to governments and regimes that are certainly not democratic and indeed often in the crosshairs of the international community. Yet he did it almost in silence. The United States and NATO, perhaps with a sense of guilt for the blown business with Paris, did not intervene.
So much so that even Matteo Renzi, often targeted for his trips to Saudi Arabia, commented: “Macron’s interesting trip to the Middle East. We’ll talk about it calmly in the coming months, let’s bet?”. In fact, the French press talked about it, calling the Gulf countries “embarrassing allies”. On the other hand, Macron was the first great Western leader to visit Prince Mohammed Bin Salman after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. An encounter that goes in the opposite direction from the approach of American President Joe Biden who, since taking office, has never communicated with bin Salman, but only with his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
During his trip between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Macron concluded a billion-dollar deal to export arms to Dubai. To be exact, the largest French contract ever for the export of weapons: 16.6 billion euros for 80 Rafale fighters, produced by Dassault Aviation SA, in addition to the 12 Caracal H225 helicopters of Airbus SE for a further billion. Among other things, Macron thanked the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, considered the strong man in the UAE, for the logistical support provided by his country to France in its fight against terrorism. in the Sahel region; and the two in terms of security “agreed to continue to deepen their partnership for common security and in strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism and radicalism”.
Not only. In the Emirates, negotiations have led to a list of potential areas of cooperation between France and the United Arab Emirates that has stretched to cover 13 chapters: from the environment to the fight against Covid. About 15 billion euros are attributable to the new strategic partnership, declined according to the “France 2030” plan, which is flanked by the extension of the co-investment on innovation between Mubadala Investment Company and Bpifrance (4 billion euros) and the in agreement of Mubadala itself with the French Ministry of Economy to explore investments in French funds amounting to 1.4 billion euros. Agreements also on the energy and space fronts.
The controversy over Macron’s travel and affairs with the Gulf regimes
Important business also in Saudi Arabia, where the energy giant Aramco has signed five agreements with French companies, including one for the production of hydrogen vehicles with Gaussin. Airbus will supply 26 civil helicopters to the Saudi company THC, while Veolia has been awarded a contract for the management of Riyadh’s drinking water services. “You can’t have ambitious plans in the Middle East without having a strong dialogue with Saudi Arabia,” Macron said before leaving for Jeddah. “Saudi Arabia hosted the G20 with all its leaders present,” he added. “Can France remain passive in the region? I don’t think so. We are a balancing power. Our role is to act. We cannot act in Lebanon and Iraq and against terrorism, which I remember struck us in 2015, without talking to the partners who are here “. But from Le Monde to Human Rights Watch, many criticized the French president’s reckless relations with the “authoritarian regimes of the Gulf”.
But in reality the same is done by Macron also elsewhere, for example in Egypt. The Al Sisi regime, among other things under accusations for the torture and killing of Giulio Regeni, is another important Paris partner and buyer of French arms. Paris’s moves in the area are not appealing to many, including Iran. Tehran accused France of “destabilizing” the region by selling arms to its Gulf rivals. “We expect France to be more responsible: the militarization of our region is unacceptable,” said the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Nothing new under the sun, remember Libya? France often moves autonomously, even if it later claims European strategic autonomy. Italy, which has just signed the Quirinal Treaty, should try to remind French friends to move in a more coordinated way.
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