newsinsightplus.com
- abiding
- ability
- March 16, 2024
- 0 Comments
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaMacron switches from dove to hawk on Russia’s invasion of UkrainePublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, EPAImage caption, Emmanuel Macron (right) now insists that Ukraine’s security is Europe’s securityBy Hugh SchofieldBBC News, ParísWhat came over Emmanuel Macron to turn him from appeaser to warmonger in the matter of Russia and Ukraine?That – crudely put – is the question being asked in chancelleries across Europe, as the French president warms to his new role as the continent’s resister-in-chief to Vladimir Putin.Certain countries – the Baltics, Poland – welcome President Macron’s apparent conversion to their “realistic” assessment of the Moscow threat.Others – notably Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Germany – are aghast at this new-found va-t-en-guerre (gung-ho) French spirit.All are confused and uncertain. How genuine is the new Macron line? Is his recent refusal to rule out sending troops to Ukraine just another of his surprises – testimony to his insatiable need to cut a diplomatic dash?And how much of his new positioning is purely politics? European elections are approaching, and the hard-right of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella looks set to trounce the Macronites.So is Emmanuel Macron using Ukraine to create a fault line between his side and the opposition, setting a contrast between his own lucid belligerence and Ms Le Pen’s turbid complicity with Moscow in the past?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, France has sent weaponry and trained Ukrainian troops – but Mr Macron insists more must be doneIn a live interview on French television on Thursday evening, the president implicitly acknowledged that these critical questions were being asked.But in true Macron fashion, he set out not to mollify but to assert. Far from muting his new-found alarmism, he explained it.Not remotely embarrassed about his “conversion” from dove to hawk, the president’s view was that the one inevitably had to precede the other.Only after all efforts to reach out to an adversary have been exhausted, he argued, is it possible to say conclusively that that adversary is beyond the pale. Furthermore – the second part of his self-justification – he argued that the Russians have now pushed their aggression to a whole new level.The Kremlin, he said, had in recent months “got noticeably harder-line” – placing the Russian economy on a permanent war-footing; stepping up repression of internal opposition; escalating cyber-attacks on France and other countries.With Ukraine looking increasingly beleaguered, and the United States no longer dependable as an ally, Europe was entering a new world, he said: “A world where what we thought was unthinkable actually happens.”This is why, according to the new Macron doctrine, France and Europe needed to be preparing a sursaut – a mental leap out of the cosy certainties of the dying era and into the harsh realities of the new one.In deliberately Churchillian tones, he believes that in order to keep the peace, Europe needs to be ready for war.Image source, EPAImage caption, Emmanuel Macron has even suggested France may need to put boots on the ground in UkraineAs always with Emmanuel Macron, the logic is impeccable; the arguments unbreakable.But as always with Emmanuel Macron there is also the question: he may convince, but can he persuade? Because the French head of state’s abiding difficulty is not, obviously, lack of brainpower – but the ability to convert that brilliance into a different talent: leadership. A capacity for getting others to follow.And on this issue, it is far from clear that the others will fall in line.The most glaring sign is the rift that separates the French leader from the man who is supposed to be his closest ally in Europe, Germany’s Olaf Scholz.In traditional Franco-German style, both sides are now publicly patching up and putting on the mandatory common front. Hence the Macron visit to Berlin on Friday. But no amount of man-hugs can conceal the fundamental discord: France accusing Germany of foot-dragging on help for Ukraine, and wilful blindness in clinging to the permanence of the US security umbrella; Germany accusing France of reckless belligerence, hypocrisy (its arms deliveries are in fact way behind Germany’s), and Macronic grandstanding.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Emmanuel Macron travelled to Berlin on Friday for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz about Russia’s invasion of UkraineBut domestically too, support for Emmanuel Macron on Ukraine is softer than he likes to think.Polls show that a big majority – around 68% – oppose his line on sending Western troops. More generally, while most people are clearly opposed to Russia, the Ifop polling company reports a “progressive erosion of support for the Ukrainian cause”.And if there is indeed an electoral subtext to his new hard line on Moscow – intended to expose the far right’s ambiguities – then it does not seem to be working. Opinion surveys show support for Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) only strengthening.In transforming into Europe’s leading anti-appeaser, President Macron is once again staking out new ground. He is taking the lead, and pushing Europeans to think hard about their security, and about the sacrifices that may soon become necessary.All this is no doubt welcome.His difficulty is that too many people react badly to him. They resent his self-belief, and feel he too readily confuses what is right for Europe and the world with what is actually just right for France – or himself.Related TopicsWar in UkraineFranceOlaf ScholzEmmanuel MacronMore on this storyEurope rift on Ukraine clouds Macron talks in BerlinPublished13 hours agoRussian defeat in Ukraine vital for Europe – MacronPublished27 FebruaryIs Europe doing enough to help Ukraine?Published6 days agoTop StoriesWales’ next first minister set to be announcedPublished30 minutes agoSecret classes to counter Russian brainwashing in occupied UkrainePublished7 hours agoGridlock fears as M25 closures come into forcePublished54 minutes agoFeaturesSecret classes to counter Russian brainwashing in occupied UkraineThe Papers: ‘Tory PM ousting plot’ and ‘Gran’s death row wait’Should adult Harry Potter fans ‘grow up and get over it’?Born on 7 October: Gaza mum’s fight to feed her babyWhat we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brandWorkaholics Anonymous: ‘I couldn’t step away from the computer’How to get Glastonbury tickets if you missed outThe ‘insane’ plan to save the Arctic’s sea-iceSri Lanka parents spending hundreds on child leukaemia medsElsewhere on the BBCThe ultimate bromanceWatch the masters of satire Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a look back through the archivesAttributioniPlayerThe mystery of a devastating helicopter crash…A weekend away for those leading the intelligence war in Northern Ireland turns to disasterAttributioniPlayer’A few people laughed, a few cried, most were silent’The extraordinary story of the rise and fall of the inventor of the atomic bomb, J Robert OppenheimerAttributioniPlayerFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerMost Read1’Tory PM ousting plot’ and ‘Gran’s death row wait’2Should adult Harry Potter fans ‘grow up and get over it’?3Gridlock fears as M25 closures come into force4Billie Piper opens up about Laurence Fox comments5What we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brand6Boeing tells pilots to check seats after plane drops7The ‘insane’ plan to save the Arctic’s sea-ice8All 35 bodies in funeral inquiry identified9Ex-Tory councillor discriminated against, report says10Secret classes to counter Russian brainwashing in occupied Ukraine
[ad_1] But no amount of man-hugs can conceal the fundamental discord: France accusing Germany of foot-dragging on help for Ukraine, and wilful blindness in clinging to the permanence of the…
