Take cover
Is President Macron focusing on foreign policy amidst domestic difficulties?
If things are shaky at home, head abroad.
Numerous world leaders are known to have followed that rule in times of crisis.
Some note that when former French president François Hollande faced a domestic security crisis, he stayed strong on nuclear, human rights, military strategy in Africa, Iran and defence technologies.
American president Joe Biden has more recently been focused on maintaining Western resolve following the invasion of Ukraine in the context of low approval ratings.
And whilst UK prime minister Boris Johnson battled headlines on partygate, harassment and a string of resignations last month, he kept a stiff upper lip in Ukraine with President Zelensky.
Amid domestic challenges, French president Emmanuel Macron may be adopting a similar strategy.
After elections five weeks ago, France’s parliament is without an overall majority.
It has, however, led to a culture of compromise amongst MPs, who have been successful with numerous big reforms over the past couple of weeks.
But with a minority government nevertheless rather uncommon in France, is Macron focusing on a show of statesmanship?
It is probably coincidental that the G7, which Mr Macron attended, took place a week after the parliamentary elections that returned a divided yet compromise-keen parliament.
The proximity to international cameras of his encounter with American president Joe Biden didn’t appear to be coincidental, though.
The French leader rushed to his American counterpart to debrief very publicly a recent phone call with UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A week after an electoral blow a week before, was this a macronien show of strength?
This kind of thinking might explain why governing ministers headed to Niger and Ivory Coast earlier this month to lay plans for a new strategy in Africa.
That being said, whilst France has led a counter-insurgency mission in the Sahel region since 2014, the removal of troops started earlier this year.
But ministers aren’t only thinking about Africa. Macron announced several days ago that a new military strategy for 2023-2030 could be debated two years early. The current one runs from 2019-2025.
And then there are next year’s Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, which will be a useful opportunity for France to project itself to the world. But amid concerns that the budget could be tight, President Macron chaired a meeting of the organising committee yesterday.
In the context of challenges in Parliament, Macron appears keen to strike the right note abroad.