Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Britain for the first state visit by an EU leader since Brexit, as the UK seeks to restore ties with the bloc.
"Few scenes convey British pomp and soft power more than the King and Queen in a carriage procession through the picturesque streets of Windsor," said the BBC. But at a time of "jeopardy" in Europe, this visit promises "much more than ceremony", with "genuine hope" that both nations will be strengthened.
What did the commentators say? Less than two months have passed since UK and EU agreed to "reset" relations, but those with France, in particular, have already "warmed considerably", the BBC said. It's not so long since Boris Johnson "accused France of wanting to punish the UK for Brexit", but "that "difficult chapter appears to be over".
Defence cooperation "is the most significant aspect of this rapprochement", said Le Monde. Since Brexit, Europe has "shifted into a new era: that of large-scale war waged by Russia against Ukraine". And Britain and France are leading the "coalition of the willing" in Europe, "seen as capable of guaranteeing Ukraine's security in the still distant event of a peace agreement".
As the leaders of the only two nation states with nuclear weapons, and two permanent members of the UN Security Council, Keir Starmer and Macron have "a particular responsibility" – that of "taking a leading role in strengthening Europe in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia and a decreasingly supportive US".
Only a few years ago, Johnson sent Royal Navy frigates to Jersey during a dispute with France over fishing rights, and Liz Truss "declined to say" whether she considered Macron "to be a friend or foe to Britain", said The Guardian. Now, amid "acute geopolitical instability", it is "overwhelmingly in the interests of both countries", as well as Europe, "that a fully functioning entente cordiale is restored".
What next? Defence, growth, security, migration and French tactics on tackling small boats are likely to be discussed during Macron's visit. He and Starmer are also expected to dial in to speak to other allied leaders looking to support any future peace deal in Ukraine. |