Emmanuel Macron on Sunday embarks on the first state visit to Germany by a French president in a quarter century, seeking to ease recent tensions and also warn of the dangers of the far right ahead of EU elections.
  • drolex@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    67·
    6 months ago

    We really hadn’t a president visit our closest partner in 24 years? WTF is wrong with us

    • DrCake@lemmy.worldEnglish
      33·
      6 months ago

      I guess they meet quite often at EU meeting so maybe wasn’t too much need for a separate meeting

      • Successful_Try543@feddit.deEnglish
        23·
        6 months ago

        The last time Macron was in Germany maybe was on 15th March in Berlin. However, this was not an official state visit with all the ceremonial brimborium.

      • casmael@lemm.eeEnglish
        14·
        6 months ago

        Could maybe pop next door for a coffee or smthn can’t be far right

    • flyos@jlai.luEnglish
      10·
      6 months ago

      First state visit, not first visit. A state visit is something particular with all the honours and the like.

      • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
        7·
        6 months ago

        Even so, a quarter-century does seem like an exceptionally long time.

        When was the last time that France did a state visit to us in the US?

        kagis

        https://media.franceintheus.org/statevisit/

        State Visit by President and Mrs. Macron (Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2022)

        President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden host President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron of France for a State Visit to the United States, including a state dinner, on December 1, 2022.

        This is the first State Visit of the Biden-Harris Administration. It underscores the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and France–the oldest allies–that is founded on our shared democratic values, economic ties, and defense and security cooperation. The leaders discuss together our continued close partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest.

        Like, a year and a half ago.

        How about the UK?

        kagis

        https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-welcomes-frances-macron-for-spectacular-state-visit/1882189

        UK welcomes France’s Macron for spectacular state visit

        Macron was visiting to mark 80th anniversary of de Gaulle’s famous wartime speech broadcast by BBC in 1940

        That was four years ago.

        If you’d have asked me prior to me looking these up or hearing that it’d been 24 years since the last, l’d have guessed that it’d have been within the past five years, especially given that Scholz entered during that timeframe.

        I guess COVID-19 maybe discouraged travel, was sort of an exceptional period for the past few years. And then Merkel was in office for quite a long time, 16 years, so maybe France didn’t see a need to do a second visit with her.

        EDIT: Actually, wait. If it was 24 years, it’s that there would have been no state visit ever under Merkel. The last would have been to Gerhard Schroeder, shortly before she entered office. Maybe it was that Merkel just didn’t want to do state visits.

        • flyos@jlai.luEnglish
          1·
          6 months ago

          Maybe it was that Merkel just didn’t want to do state visits.

          It’s possible she didn’t for the French president she had to deal with. As far as I remember she got along with Chirac, but for a short time, she despised Sarkozy, she didn’t care much for Hollande and she was quickly disappointed by Macron.