Britain and its people will always be allies of France, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, after the frontrunner to be Britain’s next prime minister said she had yet to decide if he was a friend or an enemy.
Speaking during a visit to Algeria, Macron said Britain was a friendly nation, regardless of its leaders, sometimes despite its leaders. British foreign minister Liz Truss, the favorite to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister in a contest that runs until Sept. 5, said on Thursday that her mind was not made up on the issue.
Asked during a hustings event with rival leadership candidate Rishi Sunak whether Macron was a friend or foe, Truss responded: The jury’s out, to some cheers and applause from the audience. Macron said he did not doubt Britain’s place as an ally of France for a single second, adding: If France and Britain cannot say whether they are friends or enemies. Then we are headed for serious problems.
Relations between London and Paris have deteriorated since Britain left the European Union, with rows breaking out over immigration and post-Brexit trade across the Irish sea.
French officials have privately said levels of trust between the two nations are very low. Truss added that, if she became prime minister, she would judge Macron “on deeds, not words.
