Emmanuel Macron
Held Franco-German defense talks with Merz (July 16), launched a 10-nation Ukraine missile shield (July 13), restored Syria ties, co-leads Hormuz mine-clearing, and championed a landmark assisted dying bill — all in his final term before the 2027 election.
Emmanuel Macron is consolidating a European security architecture in the final months of his presidency, barred from a third term when France votes in April and May 2027. On July 16 he held two-day intergovernmental talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Bensberg Castle and Nörvenich Air Base, advancing his "forward deterrence" proposal under which Germany is expected to join a French nuclear exercise this autumn — a step aimed at revitalizing Franco-German defense cooperation ahead of his final ministerial council.
Three days earlier, Macron hosted 37 nations at the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris, launching FREYJA, a 10-nation European anti-ballistic missile project led by a Ukrainian firm as a low-cost Patriot alternative. He announced 16 Rafale jets for Ukraine, SAMP/T batteries, and domestic manufacturing licenses for Aster 30, AASM, and SCALP missiles. A planned Multinational Force of 25-35 nations would conduct exercises in neighboring countries to validate deployment plans under a potential ceasefire.
On July 14, Macron hosted the largest Bastille Day parade in French history — 6,700-plus troops, 25 Ukrainian soldiers, 500 coalition members, and roughly 30 world leaders including Zelenskyy, Merz, and Starmer. The same week, the National Assembly passed his landmark assisted dying bill 291-241 on July 15, fulfilling a 2022 commitment; it now heads to the Constitutional Council.
Macron co-leads a UK-France-Oman naval mission clearing roughly 80 Iranian-laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz after IRGC strikes on commercial shipping. He became the first Western head of state to visit Damascus since Assad's ouster, signing 15 agreements and restoring ambassadors — though twin IED bombings wounded 18 near his hotel. He refuses to scrap France's digital services tax despite Trump's 100% tariff threat on French wine, and leads a hawkish EU bloc pressing sector-specific tariffs on China over a 360-billion-euro trade deficit.
On their plate
Held two-day intergovernmental talks with Chancellor Merz at Bensberg Castle and Nörvenich Air Base on July 16. Germany is expected to join a French nuclear exercise this autumn under Macron's forward deterrence proposal, advancing Franco-German defense cooperation ahead of his final ministerial council before leaving office.
Hosted 37 nations at the July 13 Paris summit, establishing FREYJA, a 10-nation anti-ballistic missile project led by Ukrainian firm Fire Point as a low-cost Patriot alternative. Announced 16 Rafale jets for Ukraine (operational 2028-29), SAMP/T batteries, and domestic manufacturing licenses for Aster 30, AASM, and SCALP missiles. Detailed a Multinational Force of 25-35 nations to conduct exercises in neighboring countries to validate deployment plans under a potential ceasefire.
Co-leads with the UK and Oman a multinational mission clearing roughly 80 Iranian-laid mines after IRGC missile and drone attacks on a Saudi tanker and Qatari LNG vessel. France deployed two frigates, two mine-hunters, and a patrol aircraft, with 19 NATO members supporting. Iran warned France and the UK against military adventurism.
First Western head of state to visit Damascus since Assad's ouster (July 6-7), signing 15 agreements on energy, banking, healthcare, and infrastructure with President al-Sharaa, exchanging ambassadors, and returning 51 million euros seized from Rifaat al-Assad for reconstruction. Twin IED bombings near his hotel wounded 18; Macron was unharmed.
Championed the landmark assisted dying bill passed by the National Assembly 291-241 on July 15, framing it as fulfillment of a 2022 commitment. The bill now heads to the Constitutional Council via PM Lecornu and Senate President Larcher, with opposition from Cardinal Aveline and the bishops' conference.
Key relationships
Hosted Zelenskyy as guest of honor at the Bastille Day parade and the July 13 Coalition summit, where they launched the FREYJA missile project and Macron announced Rafale jets, SAMP/T batteries, and domestic manufacturing licenses for Ukraine.
Directly engaged Trump's NATO withdrawal posture and trade threats, framing de-Americanization as a response to Trump's troop pullout threats; refused to scrap France's digital services tax despite Trump's 100% tariff threat on French wine.
Co-deployed the Hormuz mine-clearing mission via a joint declaration naming the strait a vital global artery; coordinated at the July 13 Coalition summit where Starmer announced the UK would join the EU's 90-billion-euro Ukraine Support Loan.
Held two-day intergovernmental defense talks at Bensberg Castle and Nörvenich Air Base, pushing forward deterrence and Franco-German rapprochement.
Invited Radev to the Paris coalition summit, but Radev publicly declined, rejecting coalition membership and arguing for diplomacy over military means — a rebuff to Macron's Ukraine coalition-building.
Met bilaterally at the July 8 NATO Summit in Ankara, discussing Ukraine, Iran, and bilateral trade; Erdoğan offered condolences for a bombing near Macron's Damascus hotel and backed strengthening NATO's European pillar.
Hosted Meloni at a bilateral summit in Antibes, signing a SAMP/T air defense roadmap and a plan for a European satellite powerhouse to compete with Starlink; told her 'we need each other.'
Keep reading in the app
Where they stand, in full, free in the app.
Coming soonGoogle Play